About a Dreamer
by Dvyitrus
Summary: What if Asriel Dreemurr could live? What if he didn't have to be a flower after all? I know, that ending didn't satisfy some of us. And that's what this fanfiction will cover. Asriel Dreemurr's life as himself, along with everyone else within his life. Rated T for language, I guess. But don't worry. This fanfiction is written in Asriel's perspective. Also, Frisk x Asriel.
1. Prologue - Ruins

Hey y'all! Dvyitrus speaking. This is the beginning of this fanfiction, About a Dreamer. As the description says, it will center around Asriel Dreemurr and Frisk. I really couldn't handle all the feels with Asriel dying... Also, this fanfiction... spoils the entire story. So please please don't read it if you don't know how Undertale plays out. And so I decided to write this. Where Asriel lives as himself. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I take no credit for Undertale, everything goes to Toby Fox and his wonderful team. :)

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 **Prologue: Within the Ruins**

The wind breezed through his white fur once again. Not the stuffy, moldy wind the Underground offered, but the fresh air from the Overworld. The air he felt so long ago. He could feel it now. He breathed in the crisp air, maybe for the last time ever. With a weak smile on his face, Asriel Dreemurr felt his knees buckle and the soft petals of the golden flowers cushioning his fall. He lay there for what felt like an eternity, grasping at the stems of the flowers and crying his eyes out. He sobbed and cried and bawled, knowing that he would never be able to see his parents again. He would never see anyone ever again. He would live as Flowey again. He'd have to be stuck here all by himself. All alone as a flower with no soul. The reality of it fell upon him, a burden he had lived with all his life.

 _It's great that everyone's free but… I'll be left alone again. I'll never see the sun. I'll never see Mom and Dad ever again. I'll never get to do anything ever again._ Asriel thought to himself, regretting the selfish desires he had. _But I still made a choice. And that's what I'm dealing with. This was the right choice, all along. It took a while, that's right, but at least… It's for the best._ _Right?_

He held his breath for a moment, trying to stop the incessant crying and sniffling. His blue eyes sparkled with tears and something else. Determination. He knew his life as Flowey the Flower was coming back. That life he didn't want. He placed a hand on his chest, feeling the heavy emptiness. His lack of a soul. He couldn't do anything about that, could he? For now, he had a soul to retain his form. But that wouldn't last forever, would it? Astriel wasn't crying anymore. His bright blue eyes focusing on one of the golden flowers.

 _Maybe it won't be that bad taking care of these flowers. Dad always loved them. Ch-Chara liked these flowers too, right?_ Asriel plucked one gently. He turned the flower in his hands, and it seemed to glow, almost, with its unnaturally golden shade. Asriel closed his eyes and breathed the fresh air once again. He missed its distinct freshness. He always remembered that moment—when he brought Chara and himself to the Overworld.

 _It was for our sake. I don't regret that at all…_ Asriel told himself, _At least Chara never got to do what he wanted to. But…_ Asriel lay upon the bed of flowers facing the ceiling of the Ruins, recounting all that had gone by in his short life. He closed his eyes silently and went through every single emotion within every moment of his life. He had forgotten them as Flowey. Now he remembered it all, especially the warm fuzzy feelings Toriel and Asgore gave and the heartbreaking sadness Chara's death left. He felt the warm tears sliding down his cheeks again. He didn't know what to do now.

 _I can't help but think how unfair it is. On a day like this… kids like me should be playing with others._ Asriel placed an arm over his eyes and felt the tears wetting his sweater. He sobbed silently, clenching his teeth and trying not to make any sounds. He didn't hear the footsteps coming. He was still trying not to hiccup at this point. He couldn't handle it anymore. It was truly unfair, for he was only a child. For a child to understand why he is so and has to live this way—it's not always possible, even if it were a monster. But someone else did. Someone else understood him and wanted to change it. The footsteps got closer, reverberating in the Ruins.

Asriel lay there on the bed of flowers, trying his best to stop the tears. He couldn't hear the footsteps over his sobs. He couldn't help it that he cried easily. He felt a small smile creeping over his face, thinking of those words.

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I hope you liked it! All reviews will be appreciated! Chapter 1 will come up soon, so please. 3


	2. Chapter 1 - Heart-to-Heart Conversations

Hello beloved readers! I didn't know I'd get that many people reading... wow... I'm really grateful for everyone who's reading and anyone who reviews, thank you. And I love you for reading. You guys are great. Thanks for waiting, (although it's been a day almost.) and here's Chapter 1 of About a Dreamer. Enjoy!

Spoiler alert, if you haven't either finished the game or know the ending of it... Please... don't read this... (You're gonna have a bad time)

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 **Chapter 1 - Heart-to-Heart Conversations**

"Asriel?" A voice made its way, soft and yet crystal clear to Asriel's ears. Asriel sat up immediately, wiping his face fervently. He felt his face heating up, perhaps turning a lovely shade of pink. He opened his eyes slowly to see Frisk standing there, before the golden flowers.

"A-Asriel, you were here!" Frisk's slanted eyes twinkled with love. "I was looking for you everywhere!" Frisk brought his arms to a wide circle, motioning to the entire Underground. Asriel smiled and stood up, walking up to Frisk for a hug.

"Frisk... I was waiting for you," Asriel whispered as he held the human closer to him. He could feel the warmth radiating from Frisk, making his own soulless body feel warm as well. Ever since Chara died, he didn't get a chance to feel this. Love.

"Asriel, what's wrong? Why are you so cold?" Frisk asked, slightly startled. He tried to console Asriel again, who started to sob on his shoulder, his muffled cries echoing through the Ruins. Asriel's tears started to soak Frisk's shirt.

"F-Frisk… I-I really, really don't want to let go…" Asriel sobbed out, his voice cracking under the sadness. He's said this before. After breaking the barrier. And yet, he still needed to say this. He never wanted to let go.

"Asriel…" Frisk whispered, feeling his own heart aching from those words. He brushed his friend's head softly, patting his back at the same time. "Asriel, it's not your fault."

"F-Frisk I-I-" Asriel tried to speak up, but Frisk tightened the embrace. Asriel felt his legs wobble and the two collapsed on top of the soft flowers, side by side in a tight embrace. Asriel felt himself warm up.

An eternity seemed to pass. Asriel liked this moment. He savored every breathing moment of it, memorizing all the touch and smell.

"Are you better now?" Frisk murmured, his dark brown eyes never leaving Asriel. Asriel nodded and sniffled for a bit, rubbing his eyes and turned towards the ceiling, and the two lay there for a while, enjoying the pleasantly sweet smell of the flowers as well as each other's company.

"Frisk… I never wanted to adopt such a horrible view of the world… I just couldn't find the love I used to feel when I was alive. Flowey… He didn't know what love was. He never will, because he doesn't have a soul. You saw it. He didn't understand it at all," Asriel confessed, still looking up at the ceiling. "I need to tell you something, besides this." Frisk turned to look at him, his eyes twinkling with a bit of tears. Asriel sighed, and he placed a hand on his newfound friend's cheek.

"Wh-When I fused my soul with Chara… The control we had over our body… I-It was split. He tried to use our powers to bring the humans to an end, but i-it was me who resisted. I was the one who smiled and brought Chara's body back, and… well, that's why I ended up as a flower." Asriel closed his eyes for a moment. He continued with a sigh, "This whole time… I've blamed myself for that decision. B-But now… Now I don't regret it. I know that I did the right thing. Because. Everyone went free. Right?" Frisk grinned and nodded. Asriel felt lighter, and resumed.

"It's taken so long for this to happen. I guess that makes it not so perfect of a decision, huh? But…" Asriel shut his eyes and trembled for a bit. His eyes teared up again. "But you can't regret hard choices your whole life, right?" Asriel whispered that last bit. The tears slid through his white fur silently, and Frisk lay there and grasped Asriel's hand on his cheek. Asriel smiled weakly.

"Frisk. Thanks for listening to me. But you should really go be with your friends now, okay?" Asriel felt his friend's cheek for the last time. Frisk felt his eyes welling with tears this time. Asriel sat up, pulling his hand away and looked away from Frisk. His whole body trembled, trying to suppress the cries. Frisk felt sat up slowly and crawled to where Asriel sat. He held Asriel's face in his hands and looked at him directly. Asriel avoided his gaze, his tears still falling silently.

"Asriel, look at me," Frisk stated, making the eye contact needed. "Asriel, you're going to live. You're going to be with us. You will come with me. I'm not leaving you here. I won't." Asriel's blue eyes widened with disbelief. His ears perked up and his clear blue eyes held a twinkle of hope.

"F-Frisk, don't you have anything better to do?" Asriel sniffled and cried again, the tears dripping in large droplets on Frisk's hands and then on his sweater. Frisk felt his own tears welling up and rolling down his cheeks. He too sniffled and sobbed, but still held Asriel's face in his hands. He wiped the tears off of Asriel's face and smiled at him once more, his slanted eyes still tearing up.

"Asriel, this is all I have left to do. To bring you home. To bring you to see Mom and Dad. To let you see the friends I've made and you will make. And… also to live with you and Mom and Dad," Frisk uttered the words slowly, and grinned as he saw the expression change in Asriel's face.

Asriel couldn't describe how happy he was. He felt so loved and so thankful that he had a friend, no, a brother who loved him dearly. Even more than Chara. Asriel wrapped his arms around Frisk, hugging him once again.

"Asriel, you sure do like to hug a lot, don't you?" Frisk managed to say while under the tight embrace of Asriel Dreemurr. Asriel chuckled softly, and he released Frisk. He still had one problem.

"Frisk, I don't have a soul anymore. I… I won't stay this way forever. I have to be Flowey again. I-I… How will I live with you?" Asriel asked the question that perhaps never could be solved. Frisk made a mischievous smile. Asriel tilted his head, puzzled at his friend.

"Easy. I'll give you my soul," Frisk's eyes twinkled once more, and Asriel didn't believe what he heard for a moment. His eyes widened, and he grabbed Frisk's shoulders.

"No! You can't do that! I-I'm not letting you do that! I can't let Mom and Dad lose another child. I can't let your friends lose you. You are not sacrificing yourself for me, you hear me?!" Asriel found his voice rising. He couldn't help it. He most definitely could not let his beloved friend and brother do this. Frisk held his smile, but his eyes glittered with tears again. He was already prepared to do this. _No, H-He can't do this._ Asriel thought to himself. He had to do something to stop Frisk from doing that. But what could he do? Asriel's floppy white ears perked up on a soft sound. Frisk seemed to have heard it too.

Someone was shuffling their way slowly, hobbling on a stick. Asriel thought no one would ever come to these parts of the ruins. No monster ever _visited_ the Ruins. But for some reason Asriel felt as if he knew this unknown monster approaching. Frisk too was focused on the mysterious figure coming their way. The figure hobbled out of the shadow of the Ruins and walked into the light. It was Gerson, the vendor, or the Hammer of Justice, as he was called during the old days. His old, wrinkled and spotted face lightened up immediately upon seeing the two children.

"Woah there!" Gerson leaned upon his stick and declared, "Prince Asriel? And the human? What a pleasant surprise! I most certainly hope you have time for some tea with this old man here, eh? Wa-ha-ha!" Asriel wondered how Gerson remembered him. He looked back at Frisk and shrugged. Frisk shrugged back. They were having tea with Gerson.

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So so so so so... Besides the constantly crying characters... Do you see where I'm heading? With this um "cliffhanger"? Haha... By the way, I tried my best to stick to the game dialogue, and this is how I pictured the conversation. Well, more like how I felt it should have been.

Well well, why is Gerson here suddenly? Hehe... See you in the next chapter!

With love,

-Dvyitrus


	3. Chapter 2 - Tea for Two, Not Three

Hey everyone, Dvyitrus here again with another chapter! I-I'm sorry if it took a bit too long, school's started... I'll do my best to upload at least 2 chapters per week. Or maybe 1. I really don't know... But anyways, I know I end my chapters with a cliffhanger... If you don't like that... I'm really, really sorry. You'd hate my fanfictions... But thank y'all for reading this, I'm so happy to see people reading this. So please, enjoy this chapter!

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 **Chapter 2 - Tea for Two, Not Three**

Teacups were passed out, biscuits and pastries were laid out on the flowers from beneath Gerson's shell. Asriel wondered how Gerson even managed to do that, but he figured he would ask that later. For now, the two of them—Frisk and himself—were listening attentively to Gerson's tales with sheer fascination of children.

"And so I decided to give that nasty bugger a good ol' roundhouse kick, and that did the job. He would bother nobody for a long time. Oh yes, definitely," Gerson managed to reiterate another of his famous tales, this particular one managing to enrapture both Frisk and Asriel.

After perhaps ten more stories and five more cups of tea from Gerson, Asriel no longer felt the creeping sadness he felt. Frisk too seemed happy in that moment. Although… something was still nagging at him from the back of his mind—why was Gerson here?

"Well, now that we're done with our tea, I presume it is time you tell him why I'm here, Frisk." The old tortoise monster stated with an air that reflected the old age and grandeur he had. He procured a little pipe and lit it with some fire magic. Gerson sat there puffing at his pipe silently while Asriel remained befuddled, wondering what on earth was going on. He looked at Frisk, who made a slight nod.

"Before I reached the start of the Ruins, Asriel, I met Gerson. He too wished to reach the start of the Ruins because he, for some reason, remembered leaving something behind. Was it a hat, Gerson?" Frisk turned to Gerson. He nodded in agreement.

"But anyways, on our way here, he told me..." Frisk faltered, glancing at Gerson for perhaps, assistance. Gerson smiled and nodded slowly. Frisk spoke slower this time.

"H-He said that he's lived for a long enough time and that his last wish is the use of his soul for something good. Something that really is worthy of giving up his own soul." Frisk uttered the words with a slight shiver, as if afraid of what was to come next. Asriel still didn't understand. Maybe he just didn't want to. He looked at the old tortoise for some enlightenment.

"My little prince, do you not understand?" Gerson asked gruffly. His eyes squinted at him, studying him carefully. Gerson made a slight smile, tousling Asriel's hair.  
"You are indeed a sweet child of Toriel and Asgore. No monster has ever forgotten you. Neither have I. And today, I have witnessed a miracle. A miracle where I get to see you once again, little prince. Truly, it is one of the greatest things I have had in my long, long life." Gerson's expression softened, and he reached out to grasp Asriel's hand. Asriel flinched, not expecting the old monster to hold on so tightly.

"Yet, how is it fair that a young one like you to no longer live while an old man like me lives? I, Gerson, the Hammer of Justice, have found purpose once again after my heroic voyages," Gerson seemed even older now, speaking in such a way. The old hero's eyes seemed to shine with life and passion, his rough, scaly hands firmly grasping Asriel's soft, furry hands.

"To give my life to another hero who truly deserves another chance in life." His words were graced with a chuckle at the end, and Asriel finally understood the gravity of his words. Gerson was going to offer his own soul for Asriel's own sake. Asriel shook his head.

"G-Gerson! Please, this isn't right. I-I can't take your soul-" Asriel's words were cut short by the old hero.

"Little one, you do not understand. It is _my_ choice to do so. I believe it is the right choice right now. I know it. You too had such a time, no?" Gerson looked at Asriel with determination, the determination rekindled from Asriel.

"I-I can't accept this. This isn't right. You have a right to live. I... I'm already dead, Gerson," Asriel muttered, pulling his hands away from the scaly hands. Gerson looked at Frisk, who truly didn't know what to do at this point. Gerson made a little sigh.

"Asriel, let me tell you a story," Gerson coughed a bit and started speaking, "Long ago, perhaps after King Fluff- I mean, Asgore lost his wife and children, six more humans fell, one after the other over a long period of time before Frisk arrived..."

The first of the six was a girl who showed monsters gentleness and compassion, and she never managed to hurt a single soul. She readily offered her soul to Asgore by going to him as a soul because she never made it out of the Ruins. Some say her things are cluttered somewhere here, lost forever.

The second of the six was a man of determination and strength, and he did hurt other monsters. But he never managed to kill. He spared the weak and died in the cold of what is now Snowdin. He too went to Asgore as a soul, just like the first.

The third of the six was a dancer, I remember her. She was a peculiar one, I must say. I remember her as a cheerful little thing, always smiling and brightening up the days of others. No one ever saw her sad or gloomy. Her happiness never ceased even when she never made it out of Waterfall. I did all I could to help her reach Asgore. I remember seeing her old dress somewhere...

The fourth of the six was a scholar, he loved the books I had for him. He was quiet and terribly shy. He wanted to know so much more, always asking me never ending questions. Loved that kid. I found his torn notebook and glasses one day, abandoned in a small cavern. I hope he learned more from being a soul. Besides being King Fluffybuns, Asgore is a good teacher, after all.

The fifth of the six was a chef, and it was she who introduced the entire Under to things called "Hot dogs." She was a good woman, smiling as much as she could and doing so much more than just cook. She too offered her soul without a fight, never managing to get out of Hotlands.

The last of the six... Ah, I remember. He came to my shop once. Only once. He had this interesting hat on. He referred to himself as a... "Cowboy," ah yes. He held a thing called a "gun" to my head and tried to take all the things I had. I laughed and started talking to him. His face brightened up, turning into a grin. I remember that one human most in particular, mainly because we ended up becoming friends within a day. He was the most unusual one, constantly getting into trouble. Sad that he too had to go. You would have enjoyed his company.

Gerson finished his story, smoking his pipe again. Asriel and Frisk sat there in wonder, since no one had told them about the six humans that reached the Under.

"You might be wondering, why am I telling you the stories of these six? Or if you didn't, that doesn't matter. There's simply one particular thing I wish to tell you from this, Asriel Dreemurr." Gerson stated resolutely. Asriel wondered if this old tortoise was finally going senile. Maybe. He stared at the monster with widened eyes, scared of what he might say next.

"These six humans... They had two things in common. _Determination_ is one, as all humans do. But they had one more thing." Gerson spoke slowly. Asriel lifted his head up. Gerson's eyes twinkled.

"The desire to reach a greater good," Gerson let the words hang in the air, wanting both Asriel and Frisk to understand what he meant. "These humans... They could have killed everyone in the Under. They had the power and the soul to do so. And yet, they used their determination to end up as souls with Asgore. And now, they're finally free..."

"Little prince, now do you understand what this old man has to say?" Gerson held took Asriel's hand, giving it a slight squeeze. Asriel nodded slowly.  
"My days of being a hero are long past, young ones. It is only fair that you would be able to do the things you wanted and to go back to the parents you sorely miss," Gerson spoke, making a sad smile. He gazed upon the young ones that sat before him. Frisk held Asriel's hand, not knowing what to do. Asriel reassured him with a tight grip.

"But... Gerson, your soul alone... It-it wouldn't be enough to bring Asriel back, right?" Frisk piped up. Gerson nodded slowly. Asriel's heart sank.

 _So it would need more than Gerson to bring me back?_ Asriel thought to himself. He didn't like this idea. Gerson, however, didn't seem like he was going to give up. He turned to Frisk, who sighed for a moment and closed his eyes. Asriel wondered what his friend was trying to do.

"Gerson. Is it possible that your soul and my soul can... Can be used to bring Asriel back?" Frisk's voice trembled, and Gerson blinked back at him, astounded by what he had just heard. Asriel couldn't believe it for a moment.

"I think... That would be possible. It definitely could work. But Frisk, I cannot ask you to do this. You shouldn't have to," Gerson replied, his eyes still blinking rapidly in disbelief. Of course, it was definitely a rare sight to see a human wanting to give his soul away for a monster.

"No. I will do this. I can't let Asriel be a flower again. I won't let it happen again." Frisk declared with determination. Asriel saw that he was trembling, his eyes filled with tears again.

"Frisk, please... You of all people shouldn't do this... Please, Frisk." Asriel protested weakly, feeling lightheaded. _Oh no, I-I can't keep this form up any longer..._ Asriel clutched at his chest and fell upon the flowers.

"ASRIEL?!" Frisk kneeled beside his friend, cradling his friend tightly. "Asriel! Listen to me! I-I'm not letting you go! You hear me? I-I won't!" Frisk cried out, looking into the closed eyes of his fallen friend.

"Frisk... I don't think we have much time, do we?" Gerson kneeled as well beside the children, one hand upon Frisk's shoulder and the other on Asriel's shoulder. Frisk nodded frantically, wishing to do something to help. Gerson smiled once again.

"Prince, you have made such a wonderful friend. I am so happy that you have such great blessings in your life. You deserve so much more, my child." Gerson muttered, holding the human and monster closer than ever. "And now... I regret nothing, for I offer my soul to you, Asriel Dreemurr." Asriel heard this all, and he couldn't feel his body.

Asriel cracked his eyes open, and all he saw at that moment was a brilliant flash of light and suddenly an inky darkness that enveloped his entire being. He thought of Frisk's smiling face in the last moments of consciousness.

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Oh look! Another cliffhanger! I... uhm... I'm sorry! Please don't kill me! I hope you liked it! *runs away to write the next chapter frantically*


	4. Chapter 3 - Restful Comfort

Hey everyone! Dvyitrus here again with another chapter! I can't believe I'm managing to write so much in succession.. This is new. I haven't done this before. But anyways, thank you so much to everyone who's still keeping up with this fanfiction! You're the best. This chapter takes a slightly different focus, but I think it still is important to the fanfiction itself. I hope you do like this chapter and I promise you that I will continue updating as soon as I can. Thanks and I hope you enjoy.

P.S. This chapter will focus more on Toriel and Asgore.

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 **Chapter 3 - Restful Comfort**

 _Asriel was wandering around the Ruins, searching. He made the long journey from the castle to all the way here, and he now wondered why he was doing this. He remembered hearing something... The Ruins had a quaint feeling to him, the stone structures washed in a royal purple shade, long abandoned by the monsters. And now Asriel was all alone within here, trudging through puzzles that worked no more and seeing a couple of Froggits here and there._

 _Perhaps it was just a waste of time?_

 _"Help..." A voice called out to him weakly. Asriel's eyes widened, and he started running through the Ruins. He was sure he heard it. He really did. He found his way out of the Ruins, dashing to the beginning of the Under. Beneath the light, beneath the jagged, cracked and stony ceiling of the Under, there lay a human. Asriel stopped. He hesitated. He looked around, but nobody came. Only he was there to help the human._

 _"Uh... Um... H-Hello?" Asriel asked, taking small steps at a time. He crept closer to the human, and just in case, he held a stick behind his back, if there was need to fight. The human lifted his head slowly, and opened his eyes._

 _"P-Please... Help me..." The human whispered and promptly fainted. Asriel inched closer and poked at the human with the stick. Was he dead?_

 _Asriel gazed upon the human child, studying his face and fashion choice. His shirt was tattered, his face slightly bruised, and his hair was an indescribable mess._ _Asriel hoisted the child up, wrapping an arm around his shoulder. He propped the human up, trying to walk with the human. The human opened his eyes once more, and upon seeing Asriel he smiled and tried his best to walk with the help of Asriel. The two children limped and trudged as best as they could on their legs. With one helping the other, the two quickly broke out into conversation about the world they lived in, the people they knew, and just about everything..._

"Asriel..."

He's heard the voice before. He remembered something.

"Asriel, please... Wake up..." That voice...

 _Frisk is... Alive?!_ Asriel snapped his eyes open and sat up.

His head hit something hard immediately; and the pain was instant, his head exploding in a splash of colors, his eyes watering. He groaned in pain and looked up. It was Frisk, who also seemed to be doing the same thing he was doing. Asriel laughed a little. Frisk looked up, seeing his friend laughing he too started laughing. On the bed of golden flowers, two children—monster and human—rolled around howling with laughter.

After a few bouts of laughter, the two sat up, looking at each other with the happiest expression in their lives.

"Frisk, you're alive! I-I thought you'd be..." Asriel started speaking, and Frisk hugged him suddenly, stopping him from speaking.

"I didn't know if this would work or not," Frisk replied, shivering slightly, "I didn't know if I would live, Asriel. I... I can still feel Gerson's soul. But what really happened, I don't know. I just know that my soul and Gerson's soul did something together to let you live again. That's it." Frisk tried his best to explain, but Asriel didn't care. All that mattered was that they were both alive.

"I don't know what to say, Frisk... You and Gerson did so much for me... I-I," Asriel faltered, taking a deep breath and grinned.

"I'm just so happy now! I-I can love again! I can feel again! I-I feel... Warm in here," Asriel motioned to his heart. Frisk smiled for his friend, glad that his friend can stay.

"I can't wait to see Mom and Dad again! I-"Asriel's voice was muffled by Frisk's sudden hug. He looked up at his friend.

"I was so scared, Asriel. I-I thought I was going to lose you. I can't lose a friend like you," Frisk whispered, his whole body shaking with the fear he felt moments ago. Asriel wrapped his arms around Frisk.

"Thank you, Frisk. For doing this, I can't imagine what you had to go through, but... You're the best, Frisk," Asriel spoke slowly, hoping Frisk would still hear him. Frisk nodded, and he leaned into Asriel's warm embrace, falling asleep instantaneously. Asriel too, found himself closing his eyes slowly, and the two children were fast asleep upon the bed of golden flowers, beneath the golden light that glittered upon them. Beside the children, a pipe lay on the ground, still holding what little warmth it had.

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Back in the end of the Ruins, at Home, Toriel sat in her usual reading chair. She looked around the dark, empty room, cold and abandoned. Her books on snail recipes were still there, just that there was a thin layer of dust covering just about everything. She looked around the room, only to remember the journal she had left behind. She stood up quickly, rushing to the corridor with the rooms. A door she was familiar with stopped her in her tracks. She opened the door to see a child's room with the toys and bed and just about everything still intact.

The music box was still working too. She made a sigh of relief and closed the door slowly. How she missed her little human child. And her son, Asriel. Her heart ached thinking back to those days of her life with Asgore. Toriel opened the door to her room and flipped the lights on. Her room was still the same, but she saw something on her journal. She trudged over to her old desk and looked at the journal.

Beneath one entry of a joke she had circled, she found a child's scrawling. "I'm bringing him back, Mama." She tilted her head at this, definitely puzzled at what it meant. Toriel couldn't make sense out of it, but she took her journal and left the room, leaving behind her cherished memories and life. Perhaps she might see them one day. She stood in the corridor of Home for a few minutes. She tried not to break down. She tried not to think of all the memories flooding back. She tried to keep it together. Even through all those years in this place, she never failed to smile every day, never failed to live each day happily. Now that those days were over, she wished she could... Get back to where she was before all this happened. Toriel sat down, her back leaned against a wall. She wondered how many years had passed since Asriel left. She could only dream...

* * *

Asgore wasn't sitting around in his throne room tending to his golden flowers this time. He wanted to make things right. He wanted to be back with Toriel. The barrier was open, the human souls gone. He regretted his decisions terribly. He regretted everything he had done. Ever since Asriel died. He had been walking through the Ruins the past couple of hours, in an attempt to find Toriel. The time he spent without her was agonizing. The two of them had been inseparable, and almost sickeningly in love in front of everyone. He felt empty the entire time, wishing to see his wife and son again. His stride quickened, hoping he would find her in Home. He wanted to spend the rest of his life on the Surface with Toriel. He couldn't stand the loneliness, the pain, and everything else that came from living this way. Asgore couldn't bear it anymore. He broke off into a run, finally reaching the doors of Home. He made New Home to be an exact replica of Home, just for the sake of Toriel. He remembered that.

Someone was sniffling and sobbing quietly somewhere. Asgore turned to the direction of the sniffles, and he recognized those sounds. He crept slowly to the corridor, peeking out from behind the wall.

Toriel sat there, clutching a book and some photographs, crying her eyes out. Her tears had stained her dress, and her sobs were punctuated by a distinct hiccup every few seconds. Asgore felt a pang of sadness in his chest. He turned around the corner, trudging towards Toriel, who held her face in her hands.

"Tori..." Asgore muttered, and he knelt down in front of her. She lifted her face from her hands and looked at him. Her bright blue eyes, just like Asriel's, glittered with the tears that continued to flow.

"Asgore, h-how did you find me..? I-" Toriel stammered out, only to be muffled by Asgore's great big hug. She didn't forget a single thing about Asgore, she never did. And he never could forget a single thing about Toriel. The king and queen, after all those years suffering from their choices found themselves again.

"Tori, I won't leave you alone ever again. I don't think I even can," Asgore stated in his deep voice, and Toriel held on tightly to Asgore, and her heart no longer ached. The two stayed that way for a long time. Until Toriel decided that they had some catching up to do on their lives. She led him to the unused dining table, and they sat side-by-side, gazing at each other with their hands interlocked. For now, they simply stared at each other, that exact same stare that could sicken every citizen of the Under.

"So Tori, how did you even manage to live here? I mean, most of the monsters have all moved inwards to Snowdin, Hotlands, and the Capital..." Asgore scratched at his beard, and Toriel chuckled slightly.

"Asgore Dreemurr, you have no idea what happened on the first day I arrived here," Toriel started, her face brightening up with a smile. "Home no longer was Home, it was a wreck. Spiders had overrun this place with cobwebs, dust had settled literally everywhere, nothing was functioning, and the rooms were in a worse condition that I thought. Gorey, it took me two weeks to get this place straight." Asgore's ears twitched, picking up on the name "Gorey."

"Did you just… call me Gorey, Tori?" Asgore asked quietly. Toriel's face reddened immediately, but she couldn't help it. They had all these names for each other…

"Y-Yes…" Toriel murmured, ducking her face in embarrassment. Asgore roared with laughter, seeing his love this way again. He leaned in to give a light peck on the cheek. Toriel couldn't look at him in the eyes for a while. She coughed and tried to regain her composure, but that didn't work. Toriel rested her head on her arms on the table, staring at the shriveled up flowers on the table. Asgore placed a hand on her head, and wondered if something was still troubling her.

"You have something to say, Tori?" Asgore asked cautiously. Toriel sighed a little. A silent tear rolled down her cheek.

"Why did you kill them, Asgore? Was it that necessary?" Toriel whispered, her voice barely covering the deep sadness. Because she knew each and every human that fell down here. She remembered them, clear as day. Asgore didn't answer for a while. When Toriel turned her head to look at Asgore, he looked at her with eyes that looked like pools of utter remorse.

"The humans… I didn't kill all of them. Some of them… Just came to me. All of them offered their souls to me, Tori. I didn't understand. I should have let them go, you know?" Asgore replied, his voice thick with emotion. "I had the choice to let them have some rest, finish their lives up, but… They didn't go, Tori. They stuck around, and I had to keep them. I listened to them day and night, listening to all they had to say to me."

"These humans… They had families. They had a life out there. And they never could have that life ever again. I didn't know what to do, Tori. All of them said one thing in particular. They wanted the barrier to be destroyed. And also…" Asgore stopped, and Toriel looked at him with anticipation. She lifted her head off the table.

"They remembered you. All of them remembered your love and care. Tori, I-I didn't know…" Asgore shut his eyes, and the tears started to fall. Toriel couldn't believe it. Asgore didn't kill the souls in the end. She felt her chest aching again, from the crushing sadness she felt for the humans who died. She stretched a hand for Asgore's face, and she placed a hand on his cheek. Asgore's tears flowed on, but he didn't make a sound.

"Gorey, you…" Toriel muttered, pulling the king towards her. "Big-hearted idiot." She hugged him tightly, and he leaned into her, wrapping his arms around Toriel.

"I should have been there for you," Toriel whispered into Asgore's ear. Asgore shook his head, trembling with sobs. Asgore knew Toriel would have reacted that way. He knew it couldn't be helped.

"Gorey dear… I didn't know. All I heard was that you were collecting these souls for our freedom… I had no idea, Gorey…" Toriel's voice cracked under her own feelings. Asgore tried to speak out, tried to say something, but all he could manage were whimpers and cries of all those years of sadness and regret.

"Oh Gorey, if only I had known this sooner…" Toriel felt the warm tears on her face again. She felt a gut-wrenching sense of guilt, and this was all she could say. She felt horrible for leaving her husband.

"T-Toriel, i-it's okay, Toriel." Asgore lifted his head from Toriel's embrace, and he paused to sniffle and sob. His face was close to Toriel's and he looked into her eyes.

"T-Tori, it's n-not your fault, s-so d-don't feel bad. Okay? I-it's not your fault." He stammered, his eyes still pouring tears. Toriel made a slight smile and pressed her lips onto Asgore's. Asgore's eyes widened for a moment. In that moment, with their misunderstandings all cleared up, the two furry beings had managed to forgive each other and themselves. The sadness, the regret, loneliness, and everything they felt had vanished within the moments of tears and sudden kissing. They broke the kiss and gazed into each other's teary eyes. The two laughed out suddenly.

"Gorey, I thought you were better than that!" Toriel declared, laughing and still crying. Asgore flushed a deep red, but he too was laughing along.

"Tori, I never realized you'd be so… Determined to do that… I wasn't expecting that at all, you monster." Asgore chuckled, and Toriel made a face at him. "Didn't think you'd be that… Passionate, Tori…" His cheeks burned an even deeper scarlet when he said that. Toriel too felt a bit flustered by that comment.

"A-Anyways, Gorey, I-I missed you a ton…" Toriel made a smile with a twinkle in her eyes, and Asgore looked at her with loving eyes. Toriel started to smile even more.

"A skele-ton…" Toriel laughed out, and Asgore had to chuckle too. The two had let all the tears out, feeling happy for the first time, ever since all that happened. Their smiles, nose-nuzzling, and gazing at each other started again. And this time, they knew that they would stay this way forever.

* * *

I hope you enjoyed that! Umm... Frisk and Asriel will be fine, don't worry...

Frisk: Wait we're sleeping in the middle of nowhere on a bed of flowers...

Asriel: A-Are those m-my parents?!

Dvyitrus: U-Uhm... Ch-Children should be asleep!

Anyways, I'll come back with another chapter soon... (I hope my pacing isn't too fast, guys...) Thanks!


	5. Chapter 4 - Finding a Family

Dvyitrus: Hello readers! Thank you for your support and continuous reading! I cannot believe the amount of people reading this...

Toriel: My child, you put such a scandalous part! Although it was something I did enjoy...

Asgore: You did, Tori?!

Toriel: *blushing* I-I did not say that!

Asriel: Uh... So... Frisk, we... um... slept together?

Frisk: Yep.

Asriel: *blushing as well* O-Oh uh...

Frisk: I slept well though.

(Disclaimer from Author: Asriel isn't gay in this fanfic, he just isn't great at expressing love. So please don't expect some kind of romance to happen between Frisk and Asriel. It's not going to happen. Sorry.)

*Somewhere in the Under*

Papyrus: Say, Sans... Where's Asgore and Toriel and Frisk?

Sans: dunno

Papyrus: Hmm... Perhaps it is time I, the Great Papyrus, makes an appearance!

Sans: sorry we'll go now. *drags Papyrus*

Papyrus: HEY! WAIT! I- *knocked out by Sans*

Please enjoy this chapter of About a Dreamer! Thank you!

* * *

 **Chapter 4 - Finding a Family**

Asriel heard a rustling sound nearby. He groaned and rolled a bit to his right. He remembered falling asleep with Frisk here, and he also remembered the fact that he had his life back. He made a lazy smile and opened his eyes slowly. Asriel sat up and stretched his arm, groaning loudly. He looked around and found Frisk still asleep on the bed of flowers. He scratched at his furry ears and crawled over to Frisk. He smiled and stared into the distance.

"Frisk, how can I thank you for this...?" Asriel murmured, absentmindedly playing with Frisk's hair. "You've done so much, Frisk... Thank you, Frisk." He sat there with Frisk for a good measure of time before Frisk's eyelids fluttered open. He quickly sat up, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. The two grinned at each other.

"Howdy," Asriel stated with a big grin, "Slept well?"

"Definitely," Frisk replied, still rubbing his eyes, "How did we fall asleep?" He asked while yawning.

"We were uh- crying and hugging, and then I found ourselves still here," Asriel uttered, feeling the flowers in the ground. He felt something smooth and hard among the flowers. Asriel picked the object up, a shiny wooden pipe. He studied it for a moment and brought it to Frisk.

"Frisk... This is... Gerson's..." Asriel murmured, remembering what the old hero had done. This was one of the things he had left behind besides the soul. Frisk nodded, placing a hand on Asriel's shoulder.

"Keep it. There's a reason it's here, right?" Frisk pressed the pipe into Asriel's hands, "Now. We've got to go back, don't we? There's a whole world out there for us." He took Asriel's hand and held it.

"Yeah, we should," Asriel replied, smiling brightly, "Can we walk through the entire Under while doing that?" Frisk nodded, excited to traverse the entire Under with him. He had so much to talk about and so many people to show. He stood up, pulling Asriel along with him.

"I've got so much to show you, especially all these friends I've made, Asriel." Frisk declared, starting to drag his friend with him.

"F-Friends... Mom and Dad too?" Asriel asked, his face brightening up. He managed to stay with Frisk's stride, walking alongside him with their hands still held. Frisk nodded at Asriel, and Asriel felt his heart flutter, anxious to meet his parents again. Their walk slowly quickened to a jog, then a run. The young children started running, and for some reason they started laughing. Leaving behind a trail of laughter and footsteps, the children made their way deeper into the Ruins to start their own journey together.

"I'm going to miss this place..." Asriel stated quietly as they walked past the old tree that stood still with not a single leaf in front of Home. They paused in front of the front door, just to take one good look again. They pushed the door open.

Within Home, not a single thing stirred or showed any signs of life. Things had changed slightly. The warm lights no longer flooded the rooms, the fireplace had no fire within, and most importantly, Toriel wasn't there.

"So this is Home now," Frisk muttered, walking carefully. He held on to Asriel's hand, guiding him through the darkened rooms. Asriel looked around in wonder. The living room and kitchen were all empty. That left only the rooms to check. The two of them trudged slowly to the corridor, opening the doors.

The first room remained the same as before, furnished just for a child. Asriel stepped into the room and looked around. This was just like his room. The toys, bed, closet, and the desk-an exact replica. Frisk stood by the door, knowing that his friend truly missed anything that reminded of his home from all those years.  
"Let's keep searching," Asriel declared, taking Frisk by the hand again. Frisk gave Asriel's hand slight squeeze, silently reassuring him.

"Well, this is Toriel's room..." Frisk muttered, and he remembered the day he arrived here. He longed for Toriel's warm hug again. And to call her mom again.

"I hope she's here," Asriel whispered, trying his best not to cry again. Frisk opened the door softly. Asriel held his breath, anxious to see what was behind that door.  
Within the darkened room, someone snored softly, and the sound of rustling continued. Asriel and Frisk couldn't see anything. Frisk fumbled for the switch on the wall. He managed to flick the switch and his eyes widened for perhaps the first time ever.

"Uh-Uhm I-I think we sh-should.." Asriel stammered out, clearly shocked by the sight in front of him. Frisk averted his eyes, his cheeks blazing hot.  
The room was the same. Toriel's desk and drawers and even Chairiel was perfectly fine. But on her bed was Toriel and Asgore, snuggling each other even while asleep. Thankfully they had clothes on. But it wasn't every day that you saw these two in a bed.

"Should we wake them up?" Frisk whispered, trying his best to block the sight of Toriel and Asgore. Asriel didn't think his first sight of his parents would be in this manner. But he stood there, finally being able to see his parents. His eyes started to well with tears. Frisk grabbed his hand and dragged him to the side of the bed, and he winked at Asriel. Asriel rubbed at his eye and looked back in wonder.

"Let's wake them up, Asriel," Frisk whispered, and Asriel remembered doing something similar with Chara before he died. Asriel nodded with a grin. Both of them decided to shout "Mom" at the same time, knowing that Toriel had to wake up from that.

"On the count of three…" Frisk whispered, "One... Two…" Asriel could finally talk to them again. He could finally be with them again.

"Three!"

"MOM!" The two children shouted shrilly, and Toriel sat up, fast as lightning. Asgore didn't even budge. Toriel looked around rapidly, her eyes still closed from sleeping.

"Wh-wha Frisk?!" Toriel managed to mutter out, looking at the other side of the bed where no one stood. Frisk tapped lightly on Toriel's shoulder. Toriel smiled and looked at him, her eyes still closed.

"Mom, I brought someone with me," Frisk stated, and Toriel's face brightened up. She was still sleepy. Asriel could see that. His heart pounded on, both anxious and ecstatic to finally see his mother again.

"Another friend? Well, let me open my eyes first…" Toriel muttered and opened her eyes slowly. Her eyes continued to widen as she saw Asriel beside her.

"A-Asriel? You're… alive! Oh Asriel, my poor baby!" Toriel jumped out of the bed, pulling her son into a tight hug. Asriel thought his bones would break. But that wasn't the issue. He was here hugging his mom.

"Mom… I thought I-I'd never be able to do this again…" Asriel buried his face into Toriel's embrace, and Toriel lifted her son's face to see it again.

"You haven't changed at all, Asriel, my little child," Toriel whispered to him, tears streaming her face this time. She looked into the clear blue eyes of his and touched his face softly. Her warm touch made Asriel feel warm inside again.

"Mom, I missed you so much… Dad too. I never stopped thinking about everyone." Asriel tried to continue speaking, but he couldn't. Both the mother and son cried out of the happiness they felt, finally reunited after so long. They hadn't lost each other. Frisk felt happy for them, and he decided it was time Asgore should wake up, rather than ruin the mood by snoring. He trudged over to the other side of the bed and started slapping him on his cheek. Toriel lifted her face to see what was happening. Asriel did too. They looked at the sight of Frisk slapping the king, and tried their best not to laugh.

"Uh- Frisk, I'm sure there's a better way of waking him up…" Asriel suggested, and Toriel nodded. Frisk scratched his head for a moment and smiled brightly. He grabbed onto Asgore's shoulders and started to shake him awake.

"Asgore! Wake up! Someone's here!" Frisk started to shout, also on the verge of laughter. Asgore started to mutter some things.

"Mmmph… Tori… Your sleeping habits… Are horrible as usual…" Asgore murmured, "But your lips haven't…" Asriel murmured with a wolfish smirk, and Toriel's face turned a bright red. She released Asriel slowly, her eyes twitching and her fingers moving quickly to cast fire magic. Frisk scampered off to Asriel and held him close, afraid of what was going to happen. Asriel shut his eyes, and Frisk did that too.

"Dreemurr, it's about time you WAKE UP!" Toriel shouted at Asgore, lifting her palm, which was now on fire. She swung her hand all the way back, just as Asgore started to blink his eyes open.

"Tori, you're awa-" Asgore never got to finish that sentence. Toriel's eyes glinted with a sort of fury no man or monster could ever stop. Time seemed to slow as Toriel's hand descended upon Asgore's cheek. There was a satisfactory sound of a slap. Frisk and Asriel remembered Toriel making fun of Asgore's face of astonishment at that moment some time later.

"Asriel? Y-You're alive!" Asgore shouted with joy as he scrambled to give his son a great big hug. Asriel never forgot about his father. His loving, innocent, and amazing father. They hugged for a good few minutes, and Asriel sat with his parents and Frisk right beside him on the bed.

"Mom, Dad, I-I missed you so much. I got to see both of you sleeping. I never thought I would, you know?" Asriel stated, his voice trembling still from the sheer joy all of them felt. Frisk, who also considered Toriel and Asgore his parents, knew what Asriel meant.

"My son, you've not changed a single bit. We've never forgotten about you. We couldn't. We love you so much," Asgore spoke in his deep voice. Asriel smiled at his parents. Toriel was wiping a tear away. Frisk looked at Asriel and smiled on, as if wanting Asriel to have this moment.

"It was Frisk who saved me," Asriel mentioned quietly, "It was he who came up to me with… G-Gerson." Frisk nodded, and Asriel decided he should continue.

"Gerson… He-He wanted to give his soul for me. B-But it wasn't enough… So F-Frisk, he too offered his soul. Th-Then I don't remember what happened… But Gerson was missing. I was alive again. Frisk was with me too," Asriel continued his summary of what had happened, stammering a lot and Frisk gave a little thumbs-up at Asriel. Asriel reached for Frisk's hand, wanting something to hold in his hands. Toriel and Asgore sat there in a daze. The two turned towards Frisk. They picked up the children in front of them into a big, warm hug.

"My child, you have been so brave to do so. Gerson… I remember him… He was such a kind and lovable old monster. I-I'm so thankful for what he's done, and you as well…" Toriel started speaking, placing her hands on both Asriel and Frisk

"Frisk, I cannot ask anything more from you. I do not know how to thank you and Gerson. I, who failed as a father, am given a second chance. And this is all thanks to you, Frisk." Asgore ruffled Frisk's hair as he said that. Frisk beamed at the two of them, and he had one request of them. He looked at Asriel and saw that Asriel was giving a thumbs-up this time.

"Toriel, Asgore…" Frisk spoke softly, still keeping up that smile. Still in a hug, the parents grinned at the human they held. They looked at him expectantly. Frisk took a deep breath.

"W-Would you be my… Parents?" Frisk felt the word awkward in his mouth, since he never really had such things in his life. He never remembered anything. Everyone's eyes widened, surprised by the sudden question. But that moment of silence quickly passed as Toriel started laughing, releasing the embrace that wrapped all of them in a cocoon of warmth and love.

"My child, you already are a child of mine. What on earth are you talking about?" Toriel's eyes gleamed with tears, and Frisk's face lightened up, elated to hear this. Asgore coughed a little bit.

"Frisk, I had hoped you would say that since I met you at the barrier. I had hoped to call you son since then… And now… You are our son. You are now a Dreemurr, just like Asriel," Asgore spoke out, his eyes tearing up ever so slightly. Asriel lunged at Frisk, laughing and holding him.

"We're brothers now! Frisk! This couldn't get any better, could it, Frisk?!" Asriel declared happily, and their parents gazed upon them, thinking of all the things they would do.

"Thank you all, I-I love you… Mom, Dad, and Asriel…" Frisk muttered softly with a sheepish look on his face. Toriel and Asgore never thought they'd see anything more adorable, agreeing on this wholeheartedly. And there in Home, the Dreemurrs spent a good amount of time laughing, chatting, and catching up on the many things they had missed in their lives.

* * *

The four of them trudged through the Ruins, and Toriel recounted the memories she had there, especially the day when Frisk arrived. Frisk looked up at her happily. Nearing the end, Asriel had a nagging question that puzzled him no matter how much he thought.

"Mom, Dad. I have a question," Asriel stated looking at his family. Frisk tilted his head slightly, wondering what his brother would ask.

"If Frisk and Gerson saved me by offering their souls, and Frisk is still alive… Would that mean that we have a soul made up of both human and monster souls?" Asriel asked, nearly dying of curiosity. Frisk hadn't thought of that earlier. Toriel and Asgore looked at each other.

"Hmm. Well. I've never heard of this happening before, it's all entirely new," Asgore managed to say after a few seconds of silence. Toriel nodded.

"My children, even we do not exactly know. Perhaps… Perhaps Alphys or Sans would know better about this. Don't you think so, Fluffybuns dear?" Toriel managed to say, but Frisk and Asriel made a slight face upon hearing "Fluffybuns." Asgore blushed slightly.

"Y-Yes, I-I do think so, Tori," Asgore stammered out, clearly embarrassed. "Asriel, we'll find that out later. Okay?" Asriel nodded, and for now that question stayed in the back of his mind. By then, they had already walked out of the Ruins.

"We're here already, Asriel!" Frisk exclaimed, recognizing the snowy forest he had first encountered his favorite skeleton.

"Is this… Snow…?" Asriel asked as he crouched to scoop some up to hold.

"Yeah. It's all there for us to do anything!" Frisk welcomed the crisp, cold air in his lungs. Toriel and Asgore looked on with delight, sitting on top of a tree stump and gazing at their two children with smiles. Asriel and Frisk had started to throw snowballs at each other, laughing loudly whenever one of them managed to hit the other.

"Gorey, I don't know how to express this happiness I'm feeling," Toriel leaned on Asgore's shoulder, smiling ecstatically. Asgore placed his hand on Toriel's head.

"Tori, I know what you mean," Asgore replied, "We thought we lost everything. But we didn't, Tori. We never gave up hope, did we?" Toriel smiled to herself.

"You're right, Gorey. And now we have a fresh start at being a family, don't we?" Toriel asked, her eyes glinting with hope and determination. Asgore felt a slight smile on his face.

"Yes, Tori. We'll live as the happiest family ever in the Overworld. I'll be an amazing father and husband. I promise that for as long as I live." Asgore stated, as he pressed his lips on Toriel's forehead.

"And I will forever be with you, and a mother for my children," Toriel spoke, staring into Asgore's bright green eyes. A few meters away, Asriel and Frisk were making snow angels.

"Hey bro," Asriel suddenly called, Frisk wasn't used to being called bro. He took a few seconds to respond.

"Yeah, Asriel?" Frisk asked back in response. He had his eyes closed, feeling the soft, powdery snow crunching beneath his hands.

"Thank you," Asriel stretched his hand upward, feeling the slight breeze in the air. Frisk grinned to himself, eyes still closed.

"I love you guys," Frisk managed to say, "Thank you for being my family." Frisk reached out to hold Asriel's hand. Even in the cold near Snowdin, they couldn't feel frigid air and ground. Because they had each other for warmth and support, each of them knowing that they were a family.

* * *

Asgore: Tori...

Toriel: Yes, Fluffybuns?

Asgore: I can't wait to sleep in the same bed as you again, Tori.

Toriel: *blushes again* You miserable creature! *slaps Asgore*

Asriel and Frisk: Mom, Dad!

I really hope you enjoyed this... If you didn't really... I'm so sorry, I was finishing this up at midnight... But look forward to my next chapter! Thanks for reading and all reviews will be appreciated!

P.S. Cover art for this fanfiction is coming soon... :)


	6. Chapter 5 - Memory

Hey guys! Sorry for the late update... I don't think I can make any updates during the weekdays... Have mercy, please oh beloved readers... I'm really sorry but this is really all I can manage. I hope it's okay...

Papyrus: AM I FINALLY APPEARING?!

Undyne: NGAHHH HIM FIRST?!

Dvytrius: U-Undyne please calm down...

Alphys: *Too busy watching Anime*

Toriel: Oh child.

Asriel: Uh... Who are they?

Frisk: Nah man

Asgore: Tea?

Enjoy!

* * *

 **Chapter 5 - Memory**

They had been walking for a while, trudging through the silent forests that held a few monsters here and there. The family of Dreemurrs had laughed, cried, and talked the entire time, fitting the true picture of a family.

An unusual laugh echoed through the forests.

Asriel's ears perked up, and tugged on Frisk's sleeve. Frisk smiled back at him.

"That must be Papyrus, our friend," Frisk stated and seemed almost too happy with the thought. "Wait, that also means… Sans is here too!" Toriel whipped her face back to Frisk on hearing Sans's name. She and Asgore had been walking in front of them through the forests. Asriel felt a little frightened, seeing his mother react so quickly. Toriel slipped out of Asgore's grip and took her cellphone out, texting furiously while walking quickly. Asgore sighed softly and walked alone. Frisk nudged at Asriel.

"Come on Asriel, I'm sure you need some father-son time after so long, right?" Frisk asked him, dragging Asriel to where Asgore was, staring at the bare trees. Asriel nodded and scampered for his father. He hugged Asgore's arm and walked alongside him.

"Oh, Asriel. It seems your mother is a bit busy," Asgore muttered, still bearing a slight smile. Asriel looked up at his father. _He looks the same as he was,_ Asriel thought, remembering his blond hair and beard that he played with when he was a child. He remembered all those times again.

"Dad, what was… What was life… without me..?" Asriel asked slowly, wondering if he had asked the wrong question. Asgore slowed his pace and looked at his son with his warm, green eyes that held all the colors of spring.

"Devastating. All hope was lost, the entire Underground was filled with despair, and… I lost my family. My two children. And of course, my own son," Asgore replied back, trying his best to keep up the smile. Asriel felt a dull ache in his chest. He jumped up and crawled up to his father's shoulders, nimbly wrapping his arms around his neck.

"You have me again, Dad. You won't lose me ever again, so forget about it all, okay?" Asriel leaned closer to his father's face. He placed a slight kiss on his father's cheek and smiled at him. Asgore's face brightened up again.

"Well, I guess I'm carrying you like we always did," Asgore stated, looking up at his son. Asriel nodded, and looked back at Frisk, who wasn't there behind them.

"Me too," Frisk's voice sounded. Asgore chuckled and lifted him up to his shoulders as well. Asriel laughed and placed an arm around Frisk, both of them now perched upon Asgore's mighty shoulders.

"Alright, let's go see our friends, shall we?" Asgore shouted, "Hey Tori! Quickly, before you crash into a tree and break your paws!" Toriel looked up from her cellphone and squinted with irritation. She tapped a few more buttons and flipped the phone back into her pocket. She took a deep breath. Asriel recognized that.

"Uh-oh. Dad, I think we should r-" Asriel never managed to finish his sentence. Asgore had started sprinting as fast as he could, and the cold wind started to buffet them.

"ASGORE DREEMURR!" Toriel screamed after her husband, who was carrying Frisk and Asriel. Asriel looked back to see a monstrous glint in his mother's eyes and her legs moving ever so quickly. Frisk held on tightly to Asriel, screaming.

"AHHH! A-ASRIEL!" Frisk's voice continued to rise in octaves, and Asriel couldn't help laughing even under such conditions. Asgore's shoulders continued to rise and fall in rhythm with his pace, and he continued running even with two children atop his shoulders.

"KIDS! YOU OUGHT TO HOLD ON TIGHTER, OKAY?" Asgore shouted at them, not expecting a reply. Asriel looked out ahead of them. There was a lake just a few more meters ahead, slowly realizing the shining ice that covered it. He made a silent prayer to whatever gods there were in the Underground.

The chase continued, and Asgore was the first to reach the ice, his legs buckling under him and falling face first. The children still held onto him resolutely, like koalas on a falling eucalyptus tree. Frisk's screams never stopped, and Asriel's squeals of delight echoed on. Toriel never managed to see what had happened. Asriel watched her slip and fall with a crashing thud. He couldn't help but laugh at the tangle of his family on the ice. Hearing Asriel's laughter, almost like a bird's continuous chirping, Toriel and Asgore started laughing as well, facing each other on the slipper surface. Frisk managed to stop screaming and held on to Asriel, not having recovered from the experience entirely.

"I-I-I'm n-never doing that again… D-Daddy and M-Mommy d-didn't p-protect m-me," Frisk stuttered out, his lips turned in a pout. Asriel couldn't help thinking that as adorable. Where in the Under would you ever see a sight like that? Asriel patted Frisk's head, laughing slightly.

"Now, now, Frisk my child, you are fine and I know it, as Gorey here braced your fall, didn't you?" Toriel cooed at Frisk and Asgore, who were still lying down on the ice. Asgore lifted his hand to make a thumbs-up, and Frisk glanced at Toriel for a moment and looked down, drawing circles within Asgore's blond hair. Asgore shivered, evidently tickled by that. Asriel heard a rustle.

"Wh-Who's there?!" Asriel shouted, trying to sound a little less like a child. He turned his head swiftly to the sound of another rustle. The leaves parted to two skeletons, one rather tall and the other slightly short. The tall one was clad in red and grey armor while the short one had on a white sweater with a blue jacket on top, black shorts, and fluffy slippers for his feet. Frisk stood up immediately at the sight of them.

"Papyrus! Sans!" Frisk shouted and sprinted off for them. He launched himself from the ground and landed on Papyrus. Papyrus fell with Frisk on the soft snow.

"Frisk! This is not time for such things!" Papyrus shouted with mild irritation. "Sans! Why are you just standing there?!" The skeleton, Sans, had somehow managed to reach Toriel and started texting her on his phone, even though they were literally two feet away from each other. Asriel saw his mother and the skeleton start laughing and snickering at whatever they were sending each other. _Oh… Well…_ He thought, looking at his father, who had finally managed to sit up. His father stood up and made a slight coughing noise.

"Ah, your majesty!" Papyrus rushed forward with on one shoulder, managing to stand before his father. Frisk was smiling again. Asriel stood with his father, hiding behind his father's cape. _Who are they..?_ Asriel wondered. Toriel started dragging Sans to where the rest of them stood. She smiled at Sans, and Sans seemed to blush in a shade of icy blue. Asgore coughed a little louder. Toriel made a face at Asgore.

In the middle of the forest, where an icy lake stood, the Dreemurrs had finally met the Skeleton Brothers. It was somewhat awkward, with the inclusion of Asriel. Asgore reached for his son's hand and led him to the front.

"Papyrus, Sans, this is my son, Asriel," Asgore stated in a low voice. Papyrus's eye socket widened. Sans stopped blushing and stared at Asriel. Asriel felt their icy stares boring into him. He squeezed Asgore's hand.

"Why, hello there, Asriel! I, Papyrus the Great, am honored to meet you!" Papyrus exclaimed excitedly, and shook Asriel's hand vigorously. He smiled at Papyrus, whose eyes held a dim red glow behind those eyesockets. _He seems nice,_ Asriel thought. _A bit cool and yet weird. Huh._

"hey kiddo. sans here," Sans stated in a distinctly low voice, "you must be asriel, since your parents are asgore and toriel." Asriel's face flushed, he didn't quite remember when the last time he heard that was. He looked at Sans and smiled, flinching just a little bit upon seeing one eye socket glow a frigid turquoise and the other white.

"I'm happy to meet Frisk's friends. I've heard so much about you guys!" Asriel looked at Frisk and exclaimed. Seeing Frisk's own smile, he felt encouraged.

"The time when you, Papyrus went on a date with Frisk and dumped him," Asriel declared and Papyrus seemed to blush as well, and his hands went to his cheeks, trying to cover the embarrassment already evident in his posture.

"And when you, Sans, placed twenty-nine hot dogs on Frisk's head, saying thirty is just too much," Asriel looked at Sans again and smiled. Sans winked at him, shrugging. Asgore gave Asriel's hand a little squeeze of thanks.

"I-I hope we can be great friends as well. I do really. I'm so thankful for this life I received again, thanks to Gerson and Frisk, and I really want to do the things I never really got to," Asriel continued to speak, and this time he felt his eyes welling up with tears. He let his father's hand go. He walked up to the two brothers standing before him. He looked up at them.

"It's great to see you, Papyrus and Sans. Thank you for being Frisk's friends," Asriel managed to speak and lifted his hands at them.

"Nyu-hu! Th-That was touching, Asriel," Papyrus started crying as he grabbed at Asriel's hand. Asriel felt his tears running slightly. Sans grabbed his hand as well.

"w-well… you're toriel's kid and frisk's friend, and i think we're going to be great friends too," Sans said, his face turning slightly blue once again, "so lighten up, bucko." Asriel made grinned and lunged at them, his hands still holding their hands and charged for a hug. Frisk saw this and started to charge at them too.

"h-hey k-kiddo wait-" Sans tried to shout.

"Nyeh-heh!" Papyrus only managed to say that and started his descent.

Only at the last moment, Asriel realized the mistake he was making. The floor beneath them wasn't snow or ground. It was ice. _Oh._ Asriel thought, before falling on the two skeletons. He heard a loud crack. The ice had started falling apart. There wasn't time to react. Frisk had already made his leap of faith, and his eyes started widening. Thankfully, Asgore made it in time to catch Frisk out of the air. Asriel made a sigh of relief. Time seemed to flow slower. Papyrus's mouth was wide open, and Sans's eyes were closed with a look of despair. He could even see Toriel's face, blanched with shock, but with a sly smile? _Mother?!_ Asriel thought. He could never really figure out his mom's thoughts at times.

The cold water smashed into Asriel's face like a wall of pain that slowly spread throughout his body. He didn't feel too terrible in it, for some reason. He's had worse before, anyways. He's felt uncomfortable with the two skeleton brothers... But why?

 _Perhaps I can find out now? Even when I'm about to drown?_ Asriel thought, as determination always worked in some magical way for him. He felt his limbs numbing. He felt everything suddenly turn dark.

 _"Sans! How long will you even continue to sleep like that?!" Papyrus's voice sounded from somewhere far away. Sans rustled on the bed, trying to sleep a bit more. Papyrus barged the door open and looked at his brother with eyes that almost seemed to cry. He walked over to Sans and sat on his bed._

 _"Not this again…" Papyrus muttered, holding Sans's hand tightly in his own. Sans continued to shiver even in his thick jacket and under the thick quilts. He was so cold._

 _"b-brother… i-i'll live, i know it," Sans made a weak smile, one of his eye sockets open and glowing a bright blue. One of Papyrus's eye socket glowed a warm orange._

 _"I promise I'll find a way," Papyrus whispered, and held Sans's hand a little longer before standing up. He placed another blanket on top of Sans and exited the room, thinking of brewing some tea. As the door closed, Sans groaned._

 _"P-Papyrus! I-I w-wanna do that too!" Sans's high-pitched voice echoed in the air, Papyrus standing a little away from him, holding a bone._

 _"Now Sans, listen to me carefully," Papyrus reminded Sans gently, "you must be careful with this attack, do you hear me?" The young Sans nodded enthusiastically and took the bone away from Papyrus, who stood taller than Sans._

 _"You better watch me!" Sans shouted with joy, his sweater still on even on this warm day. Papyrus watched his little brother eagerly, the only person to bring the most joy to his life._

 _Sans threw the bone like a boomerang, and as it spun wildly, it hit something in the forests. There was a shout. Sans ran to Papyrus quickly and hugged him, scared of what he had just done._

 _"P-P-Papyrus! T-T-There w-w-was a-a-a…" Sans managed to stammer out, his small frame tightly holding onto Papyrus. Papyrus stood up, patting Sans on the head._

 _"Hello? I-I'm terribly sorry if you got hit, could you forgive my brother for that? He doesn't know much about fighting, and I thought I should teach him a few things about it…" Papyrus called out, hoping that the monster would come out. Sans continued to tremble._

 _"B-Brother…. I-I don't like this…" Sans muttered, and Papyrus hushed him. This was the first mistake they made that day._

"ASRIEL! YOU MUST WAKE UP!"

A voice called out to him.

Asriel took deep breaths, and coughed violently. He threw up some water and sat up, looking around. He saw the blurred faces of his family, Frisk, and the Skeleton Brothers.

"yo kid, you were out for a while," Sans started speaking, his eyes no longer glowing. Papyrus nodded beside him, looking worried. Frisk started at Asriel, his eyes large with questions. His mother and father were right behind him, holding him up and feeling him for any sort of injuries.

"I think we should go to Snowdin quickly," Toriel muttered to Asgore. Asgore looked slightly anxious. Asriel thought with his mind, _Frisk, can you hear me?_ Frisk's eyes widened suddenly.

 _A-Asriel? You can talk with minds?_ Frisk asked immediately, and Asriel smiled at his friend's sharpness in catching that.

 _No you idiot, I'm using sign language,_ Asriel replied back, and Frisk tried to stifle his laughter. Sans looked back at him cautiously. Frisk sneezed at that exact moment.

 _Frisk, I saw something. While I was in the water._ Asriel tried to explain, _I can't tell you now, but I can later. Okay?_ Frisk nodded and placed his head on Sans's back. Sans didn't move an inch.

"Alright, I guess we'll have to go to Snowdin…" Asgore finally murmured, "It's a little far, you know?" Toriel nodded. Sans stood up with Frisk's hand in his. Asriel looked up at the skeleton.

"i know a short cut," Sans spoke firmly with a smile that never faded. He flicked a white pupil and Asriel, and something told him Sans knew what he knew already.

* * *

Papyrus: See! I'm the older brother!

Sans: you sure don't act like one

Frisk: *concerned*

Asriel: *hides in corner avoiding Sans*

Well, I'm sure you didn't expect that. I think. I hope you enjoyed this chapter! I'll be focusing on each character over a few chapters, and this is one of them. In this case, it's about the Skelebros and Asriel's effect on them. Yep. I just explained the following chapters to this fanfic. You're welcome. I hope you leave a review and really liked this. Thank you so much for waiting and reading!


	7. Chapter 6 - Uncle Sans, Aunt Papyrus

Hello beloved readers! I have returned with another chapter in like, a day. Because today was a holiday! But then I have essays and essays and essays and yeah so...

Sans: get rekt m8

Toriel: Oh Sans, you're always so funny! *kisses Sans on the cheek*

Sans: uh um well

Asgore: *marches off*

Papyrus: Wowie! My brother and her Majesty?!

Asriel: *wide-eyed*

Frisk: *secretly shipping that*

Alphys: *seconds that*

Undyne: WHY AM I NOT IN THIS CHAPTER?

Mettaton: ...

P.S. I've got a cover art for this fanfic! Oh my gosh yassss! I credit the photo to my amazing friend, Sophia, who you can check out on Instagram: sofasoph_art

All credits go to her, please don't copy it off. But I'm so thankful she decided to give me permission to use it! :D

Anyways, enough of my babbles, please enjoy this next chapter!

P.P.S. I know the formatting was crazy last chapter, but the memories Asriel saw were TWO, the spacing could have thrown some of you off, so really sorry about that.

* * *

 **Chapter 6 – Uncle Sans, Aunt Papyrus**

"Well, we're here now," Asgore stated gruffly, his breath into misty moisture that dissipated quickly. Toriel was holding his hand, perhaps a little cold. Frisk huddled near Asriel, trying to preserve some warmth. The two skeleton brothers, Sans and Papyrus, were walking ahead of them, already past the colorful sign of Snowdin.

The sign for Snowdin flashed before them in pretty little lights of green, yellow, and red. Asriel didn't remember this town much. His family never quite liked the cold much. As the rest of them followed behind Sans and Papyrus, Frisk and Asriel tried their best to be near enough, but out of earshot.

"So what did you want to tell me?" Frisk whispered, leaning his head into Asriel's shoulder. Asriel shivered a little and held onto Frisk a little tighter.

"When I… I was in the water… I think saw Sans and Papyrus. In a room. Sans was suffering from something… His eyes were glowing," Asriel managed to speak, "And after that scene, it turned into a childhood scene of them. Little Sans was begging his brother Papyrus to teach him how to fight. It didn't go well. It hit someone and that was it." Frisk stared at Asriel for a moment.

"How did you even…?" Frisk tried to ask. Asriel shrugged, and Frisk considered something for a moment. Asriel continued walking in fear, trying his best not to show it.

"I think Sans knows that I saw those memories," Asriel muttered. Frisk's eyes went wide. He glanced quickly ahead of them and saw that everyone else were waiting for them.

"I think we shouldn't say a single word of it," Frisk replied, "yet." Asriel nodded swiftly and took Frisk's arm. The two of them started running to the rest.

* * *

"took you guys a while," Sans remarked upon seeing their arrival. A chill went down Asriel's back. He reached out for Frisk's hand for some comfort.

"Sorry, Sans. It's been a while since Asriel saw snow…" Frisk managed to reply softly. Sans's expression softened. If that was even possible for a skeleton. Asgore and Toriel looked around almost a bit to obliviously, listening to Papyrus attentively.

"say, kiddos, d'you guys… know something…" Sans started to speak, and Asriel tensed up. "for example, something that i never told you…?" Frisk tugged at Asriel's hand. _Why can't we talk about this later?!_ Asriel thought frantically of something.

"W-What? Sans, I-I barely know you and all, I mean…" Asriel stammered out, looking straight into the cold, unwavering blue eye of the skeleton.

"Sans! Can we please get into the house now?!" Toriel shouted from behind Asriel. Sans quickly reverted his eye color and looked over to Toriel. His face held a brighter glow and a bluish tint. Asriel almost collapsed onto Frisk, having barely missed a disaster thanks to his mother. Frisk patted him.

"o-oh right, you don't like the cold," Sans fumbled for the keys and unlocked the door. Toriel rushed between Sans and the door, trying to find some warmth in this cold town. Asriel heard his father racing to get into the house as well. Papyrus trudged right along, stopping to look at the children.

"I was just about to explain the importance of spaghetti to his majesty, you know?" Papyrus stated and sighed, disappointed slightly.

"You can make us some for lunch, you know?" Frisk smiled at Papyrus. His face brightened up immediately with a childish glow.

"Wowie! Really?! I better start getting to work then!" Papyrus exclaimed and quickly entered the house as well. With that, the children were left with Sans again. Sans looked at them silently. The children stared back, standing in the cold.

"get in. you're gonna get chilled," Sans said to them, "to the bone." Asriel laughed. Frisk groaned. Sans winked. The door shut behind them silently.

With six people in the house and three of them crowding the kitchen, the house held a more cheerful air to it. Papyrus, with his chef's hat and white apron, worked away at the creation of his spaghetti with Toriel at his side to help. Asgore sat near the stove, trying to warm himself up with some fire magic.

In the living room, Sans, Asriel, and Frisk sat in the couch rather awkwardly. The three of them barely fit in the couch and Asriel didn't like being in the middle, right next to Sans.

"so, bucko. you should say something, no?" Sans asked Asriel, his deep voice turning a shade warmer. Asriel glimpsed at Frisk, who was nodding slowly. Asriel took a deep breath. _Well, I should really tell him about it, shouldn't I?_ Asriel thought before forming the words needed.

"Sans, I-I didn't meant to look at your memories, but for some reason…" Asriel started his confession. Sans turned his head to look at the child. "I saw you in a bed, cold as ice, and Papyrus tried calling for you. He saw how you were and tried to comfort you. He said he'd find a way to help you." Sans froze for a moment, his eyes flickering in his eye socket.

"g-go on, kiddo," Sans suggested, his face turning paler.

"The next scene was when you were a child, Sans. You were begging your brother to teach you how to attack. It didn't end well. The bone you threw hit someone. That was it." Asriel stated with finality, and Sans leaned back into the couch. Asriel looked at Sans. He still didn't know much about this skeleton. He looked at Frisk, who shrugged his shoulders. They waited for Sans to say something.

"there's a reason why i don't say much, you know?" Sans started in his low voice. "what you saw, asriel, is a small part of us. Me and Papyrus." Asriel didn't know why Sans was telling him this. Sans smirked, as if reading Asriel's mind.

"i'm telling you this because i want you kids to understand us better," Sans continued on, "sometimes… i just can't help but feel horrible for what's happened to us, you know?" Asriel felt something within those lines. He knew perfectly what Sans was talking about. That feeling of being alone and abandoned.

"in that memory you saw of me and papyrus in our childhood, the bone i threw hit a monster by the name of gaster," Sans shivered lightly as he spoke. The name Gaster sounded pretty familiar to Asriel.

"gaster used to be the royal scientist, before alphys. something bad happened to him. You wouldn't know, frisk. maybe you would, asriel," Sans continued on, "but anyways, gaster appears before us with the bone i just threw. he didn't seem mad at all." Sans's tale continued in a low voice.

* * *

that was the first time the both of us had met the royal scientist. he looked like us. a skeleton. but he definitely wasn't one. his face had cracks near the eye sockets, his eyes glowed like ours, and he always wore a dark suit. i remember his hands. each hand had a huge hole in the middle of the palm. creepy, right?

gaster approached us, holding the bone in his hand. he had a mysterious smile on, and i remember crying in my brother papyrus's arms. hard to believe, i know.

"This must be yours," gaster stated. his voice was monotonous. i can't exactly describe it now, i have forgotten it. But he comes up to us and what could papyrus do? He nodded slowly and accepted the bone. i took a glimpse of him that day. it chilled me to the bone. his mouth didn't move when he spoke, you know? papyrus held onto me and we stood there in front of this stranger.

"such fine specimen," was what gaster said when he looked at me. he grabbed my face and stared into me. papyrus quickly snatched me away from the scientist.

"Please keep a safe distance, if you don't mind," papyrus tried to say politely. he always had a problem with being too nice, even with strangers, you know?

"oh of course, where are my manners?" gaster replied with a smile that seemed to be plastered on his face. i hated looking at him. "but my little skeletons, if you wouldn't mind…" papyrus dragged me back, taking a step away from the black-suited monster. gaster lifeted his hands and opened his hands, his palms facing upwards.

"p-p-pap… i-i don't like this…" i murmured to my brother. in case you didn't know, there's a reason why i'm the weakest of all monsters. even at this point, i was pretty young and weak. papyrus tried to hold me closer to him and continued to look on at the monster in front of us.

"thank you for growing up to be such beautiful monsters," gaster declared, "i as your uncle am _very_ proud of you all." He stretched his hands to us and placed each palm on our heads. wasn't fun. it hurt like hell. we were out cold for three days in the cold, found by the townsfolk in snowdin, thankfully. that was our first encounter with gaster, and it changed everything. me. papyrus. our lives. i know, it doesn't explain almost anything. let's just say it's a good thing he's not here anymore.

* * *

"sometimes, you just need to wait a little bit to know something better," Sans muttered as he started to rub his temples. Frisk and Asriel sat there frozen, frightened by what Sans had told them. Sans turned to them and made a warm smile.

"lighten up, guys," Sans broke the silence quietly, "i trust you guys. frisk. asriel. because both of you are something different." Asriel looked at Sans expectantly. He could hear his mother shouting at his father for doing something. Frisk also leaned closer.

"your souls… they don't feel human or monster. it's like a mix," Sans finally stated, chuckling softly.

"W-Why are you laughing?" Asriel asked him, still somewhat awed that Sans decided to trust them. Sans's eyes reverted back to white.

"i dunno kid.," Sans answered, "both of you so reckless, maybe i should keep an eye socket out for each of you, you know?" Frisk lunged at Sans from his end of the couch, bringing Asriel and Sans into a hug they hadn't expected.

"y-yo kid!" Sans cried out, squished between Asriel and Frisk. Asriel found himself grinning, and Frisk started laughing.

"Sans, you said you don't make promises," Frisk muttered with a wink, "and yet you're making another one besides the one you made with Mom?" Sans's turned light blue. Frisk released Sans and Asriel.

"Wait, you made a promise with my mom?! Really?!" Asriel shouted, amused by the whole idea of his mother and Sans making promises.

"i-it was a promise to protect you, frisk. remember that during our date?" Sans spoke up quickly, and his eyes widened at what he just said. Frisk's cheeks started turning rosy red. Asriel started howling with laughter. First his mother and Sans, and now Frisk and Sans.

"You and Sans on a date? You're kidding me, right?!" Asriel asked, looking incredulously at each of them beside him. They tried their best to avoid Asriel, turning their faces swiftly.

"I-It was nothing," Frisk stated, trying to change the subject, "Sans, I'm glad you told us this. All I knew was that you were a skeleton who told the most hilarious jokes. And also that you protected me all along." Embarrassed, Sans started twiddling his thumbs.

"You're one of my best friends, Sans. You were there for me all along," Frisk went on. Asriel didn't quite know what to say. Sans looked at the two of them for a moment.

"kiddo, you don't have to say that," Sans murmured, "i-i don't deserve this from you." Asriel saw drops of blue tears starting to flow from the skeleton. Asriel decided to wrap an arm around Sans, holding him tightly.

"bucko?" Sans managed to choke out, and Asriel smiled at Sans, whose eye sockets continued to flow with tears.

"I'm sorry you had to suffer all that," Asriel admitted, "I… I used to be a flower, Sans. Flowey. It sucked. A lot."

"flowey, huh? even i never managed to figure that out," Sans stated, not at all surprised.

"I know I did lots of bad things, Sans. I forgot about the life I had as Asriel Dreemurr," Asriel admitted, still looking at Sans. "But I have a life again, Sans. Thanks to Gerson and Frisk. Sans, you have us. You have us to fall back on and find shelter. I know w-we're not friends, we've just met, but I-I think you're awesome." Asriel didn't quite manage to finish that. Sans placed a bony finger on Asriel's mouth.

"got it, bucko. i know you're nervous around me. we're friends, ok?" Sans's eye sockets had dried by then, and he was smiling as usual. Asriel felt the tension in the air dissolving, and held the skeleton closer to him. _I'm sorry for everything._ Asriel couldn't help but think to himself.

"b-bucko… you can let go now," Sans choked out, gasping for air. Asriel let the skeleton go. _He's like an uncle, isn't he, Frisk?_ Asriel thought out to Frisk. Frisk suddenly stood up.

"Y-Yeah! I mean seriously, how is he _not_ like an uncle?!" Frisk said out loud, and Asriel's jaw dropped slightly. Sans stared at Frisk. Frisk turned his head slowly to look at Sans. There was an awkward silence in the air.

"kiddo, you really think so?" Sans asked, "am i… like an uncle?" His hands were trembling. Asriel didn't know if it was out of anger or joy.

"Y-Yeah! Even Asriel thinks so too!" Frisk answered a little too enthusiastically. _You're going down with me,_ Frisk thought to Asriel. Asriel glared at him momentarily before nodding at Sans.

"oh. ok. that's awesome," Sans stated, "uncle sans. got a nice ring to it, doesn't it?" Sans winked at them and stood up. Asriel sighed in relief. His stomach started growling loudly. He hadn't eaten the entire day. Sans took this

"hey papyrus! when's dinner ready?" Sans yelled to the kitchen, "my nephews are starving!" Sans gave them a wink and trudged off to the kitchen.

 _Wow we have an uncle who's our friend now._ Asriel thought to Frisk. Frisk nodded, sitting down on the couch again.

 _Uncle Sans. The first uncle I would have._ Asriel thought to himself, delighting at the thought of it. Frisk raised an eyebrow and switched the television on.

"Hey look! It's Mettaton!" Frisk shouted excitedly. Asriel looked at the screen to see a good-looking robot cooking something. _Is that spaghetti?_ Asriel wondered. As if on cue, Papyrus's voice sounded from the kitchen.

"Alright! Who's ready for the almighty Papyrus's spaghetti?!" Papyrus dashed out with a big pot of spaghetti in his hands. Behind him, Toriel trudged on exhaustedly with Asgore, who seemed equally exhausted. Sans marched out triumphantly, holding a bunch of cutlery and crockery in his hands. Asriel wondered if it was because they decided to call him uncle. Everyone else had already seated themselves at the dining table. Asriel and Frisk managed to tear their eyes off the television screen and walked to the table.

"Come children, you must be starving," Toriel beckoned for them and dragged the chairs out. Frisk looked at his plate with wide eyes. Asriel saw a very plain plate of spaghetti in front of him.

"Well. Why aren't you eating?" Papyrus urged everyone. _Are they… afraid of eating this..?_ Asriel wondered. He grabbed his fork and twirled the spaghetti on his fork. He lifted the fork to his mouth. Frisk's eyes darted from Asriel's face to Sans's face. Sans had a weird smile on. Asriel took a bite of the spaghetti.

The taste was indescribable. In that moment of tasting the spaghetti, Asriel felt his worlds collide, his mind explode, and his entire being shaken by the utter exquisiteness of the spaghetti. With the fork still in his mouth, Asriel made a wide smile. No one had eaten yet, apparently.

"Look! He smiles! I, Papyrus, have succeeded!" Papyrus piped up, and everyone else gave a sigh of relief and munched into their meals. Sans and Frisk looked at each other in surprise. For once, Papyrus had managed to cook up a decent meal, perhaps with a bit of credit to Toriel and Asgore.

* * *

That night, Sans and Papyrus's house lit up to the wee hours of the night, even after Grillby's had closed up. In the house, everyone still sat around the table, laughing and chattering about life. It also included Toriel's recounting of Frisk's attempts in flirting after calling her "mother". And for a long moment, everyone sat around the table in a happy silence, looking at each other.

"The barrier's finally open, huh?" Asgore asked no one in particular. Everyone nodded in agreement. Sans looked at his beloved friends and nephews.

"you know, tori and asgore," Sans started speaking, "i-i'm gonna be an uncle." Asgore and Toriel stared at him in disbelief. Sans winked.

"your sons called me uncle today," Sans stated, and looked at Asriel. Toriel started laughing. Asgore tried not to laugh.

"Asriel, Frisk. Is this true?" Asgore asked, trying his best to adopt a serious tone. Frisk stood up on his chair. He coughed twice.

"Uncle Sans. He's the best uncle and friend we have here," Frisk declared grandly, and he also looked at Papyrus. "That also means that Papyrus will be… Aunt Papyrus!" Asriel's face broke out into a huge grin. Sans doubled over and started laughing. Papyrus's face started to turn reddish. He too seemed to be grinning.

"O-Of course! The great Papyrus takes the title only such a great one deserves! Aunt Papyrus! Yes, I shall be your Aunt, Frisk and Asriel!" Papyrus replied gallantly, and Toriel fell into a fit of hysterics. Asgore sat in his chair, chuckling. Asriel couldn't help laughing too. Only Frisk stood there on his chair, a big smile on his face and his eyes twinkling with joy.

 _We have a family now, don't we?_ Frisk's thoughts echoed to Asriel.

 _Our family._ Asriel replied back to him.

"Our family, huh?" Asgore declared to his children, winking slightly.

"You can hear us?!" Asriel asked him in shock. His father laughed this time.

"Well both of you are my sons, after all," Asgore replied deeply. Toriel managed to recover and sit at the table again.

"Gorey, you mean OUR SONS," Toriel snapped, "They're mine." Frisk nodded vigorously and went to Toriel's side, snuggling her. Asriel couldn't help but laugh.

"that's my nephews you're talking about," Sans muttered loudly enough, for everyone to hear. Papyrus couldn't help but join in the whole argument.

"You mean, MY nephews," Papyrus held a hand over his chest and declared triumphantly. Frisk looked at Asriel, smiling with absolute joy. _Family. I've longed for this for so long, didn't I?_ Asriel thought to himself. He stood up on his chair just like Frisk.

"Thank you, everyone," Asriel declared right before he collapsed on the table. _Oh… What's happening…?_ Asriel managed to think before slipping into darkness. He saw the faces crowd around him: his parents', Frisk's, Sans's, and Papyrus's. He could hear their muffled voices, screaming and shouting. He smiled at them one last time before slipping into unconsciousness. He last heard the echo of Frisk's mind, screaming his name repeatedly.

* * *

I hope you enjoyed it! Please do leave a review if you do wish to, I wouldn't mind. Thank you for reading and please, I might take a while to update another chapter.

Asriel: So what happened to me?

Frisk: Idk

Sans: lmao

Toriel: k

Asgore: Party?

Papyrus: *winks*

Undyne: WHEN WILL I-

Alphys: Stop please

Thank you! :)


	8. Chapter 7 - The Past, Present

**Please pray for the world. It's not right for people to suffer in this world. I can't imagine the pain and agony everyone affected has to go through, and I am so sorry for anyone affected by all that has happened in the countries and cities affected. I thought I should at least use this to say something. I can only pray for everyone in the world today. We really can't let this happen again. I hope all of you feel that way too. Most of us... can't do much. All we can do is sit here and raise awareness. But that's not the point now, because even through such tragedies, we can't lose hope, can we? So wherever you are, whoever you are, whether you were or were not affected by this tragedy or any sort of tragedy... I'm praying for you. I know it's not much. But I promise to be here for you. The world is here for you.**

* * *

Anyways, here's the next chapter of About a Dreamer! Hurrah! Sorry about this late update, I still had a few things to do... I honestly didn't expect this to get SO MANY VIEWS I'm just so thankful to all of my readers, thank you thank you thank you! I love all of you so much and you guys and gals are like, the best. Thank you so much. I'm so glad all of you appreciate it. :) But anyways...

Asriel: I'm not dead, right?

Frisk: NO

Toriel: NO

Papyrus: NO

Sans: NO

Asgore: NO

P.S. Sans is the younger brother, Papyrus is the older... :( I hope it was clear...

Enjoy this chapter!

* * *

 **Chapter 7 - The Past, Present.**

 _"Chara, we... We're going with that plan, right?" Asriel asked his human brother. Chara glared at him, slightly annoyed by Asriel's constant worries and such trifling things. He never figured how a monster would ever have so many worries. Like mother like son, perhaps._

 _"Yep, we have to," Chara replied sweetly, not wishing his plans to be foiled. Asriel smiled weakly at him. Asriel hoped he was doing the right thing. He hoped. He thought.  
_

* * *

"Say Alphys. He can hear us, can't he?" A raucous and yet distinctly female voice sounded nearby. Asriel didn't understand what was happening. He was in darkness, but he could not move and see. He could only hear.

"Well, yes, Undyne. Think of it like a deep sleep," another female voice said beside him. He guessed these people were also Frisk's friends. If not, he wouldn't mind that either. _After all, monsters all love each other one way or another, don't they?_ Asriel thought to himself.

Hours passed. Asriel didn't know how long he lay still in the darkness, aware of everything and yet unable to move. He didn't get it. He heard footsteps and the sliding of two chairs beside him.

"bucko, I know you're awake," a familiar skeleton spoke in his low voice, "i've brought frisk with me. because i, your uncle, want to tell you two something." Asriel no longer felt stifled by the darkness that surrounded him.

"Asriel, I hope you're alright," Frisk started to sniffle and sob, "Y-You n-need to wake up soon, okay?" Asriel wished he could sit up that instant. But he couldn't. A moment of silence passed, punctuated by Frisk's irregular sobbing and Sans patting Frisk on the back.

"i should tell you the full story to my life, shouldn't i?" Sans asked the two of them. Asriel could listen to it all. He thought he could see Sans smiling.

* * *

when gaster arrived in our lives, after the incident in the forests, papyrus and i couldn't find much difference. we thought it had all been a bad dream, but something had happened one day that changed almost everything.

papyrus and i decided to return to the forests once again a few weeks later. everything seemed to be normal. i thought the day would be perfect.  
"pap, why are we here again?" i remember asking papyrus that day. he grinned at me, telling me that we were going to catch the nightmare that had haunted our life. i didn't understand it.

"w-will the bad m-man be th-there..?" for some reason I never forgot these memories. my childhood... I was rattled easily, let's just say.

"no, sans. don't worry about him. he'll never bother us," papyrus replied with a cheery smile. "i promise." i believed in him. he believed that too. the forest welcomed us once again with its fragrant pine scent and crisp air. gaster really was no more to us. for now.

"see?" papyrus asked me with a reassuring grin. "that uncle person isn't here anymore, so don't worry. your magnificent brother has done enough to scare him away." i beamed at my brother. how wrong i was about that day.

"let's start with our training, okay?" papyrus chimed in, holding up a bone. i reached for the bone and held it in my hand. in that moment, i remember a bright blue light. that's all it was. gaster wasn't there.

"san-" i could hear papyrus. i could hear my own voice screaming, my head felt as if it were cracking apart and my body shook. i didn't know what i was doing. my hands started moving on their own, still clutching the bone papyrus gave me.

"SANS!" papyrus shouted after me. my feet moved, trudging further and further into the woods. "SANS, WAIT!" my brother's voice started to sound farther away.  
my head hurt. as if it were splitting in two or something. i don't remember feeling anything worse, y'know? it sucked. in the next moment, i no longer knew what i was doing. i heard papyrus' shouts getting closer and closer.

"SANS! LOOK AT ME!" papyrus's voice ran clear through my mind, and the rampaging ceased. looking at papyrus with his eye sockets glowing dim orange.

"sans..." papyrus muttered, gripping me by the shoulders, "you're safe now. i'm here for you. you know that." his orange eyes. he never had those before. i felt the pain receding. my head no longer burned. slumped in his grasp, i couldn't feel anything.

"p-pap… am i… d-dying..?" even as a young kid, i always worried about dying. papyrus shook his head and continued to hold me until i passed out. all i remembered were his orange eyes.

"What happened after that?" Frisk asked Sans curiously. Sans had stopped talking for a few minutes. Sans sighed and continued on.

i found myself lying in my bed back in snowdin. papyrus was sitting right beside me, sleeping in a chair. he was still holding my hand. my head ached from what happened the other day. i sat up slowly. papyrus groaned a little bit. he wasn't awake though.

"sans, you silly little thing," papyrus whispered, his voice shaking, "your most magnificent brother is here." he was always such a cool brother even when asleep, you know?

"papyrus... what happened the other day?" I asked him as soon as he woke up. he looked at me sadly and grasped my hand tightly. his mouth quivered.

"l-listen to me, sans. what… what uncle did to us…" papyrus murmured softly, "it needs to stay secret. no one can know about this, okay?" i nodded at him.

"sans, you… you tore up an entire section of the forest yesterday. all by yourself," papyrus stated, "thankfully no monsters were hurt, but… the damage you did was extraordinary. and…"

"and what?" i asked him with growing anxiety. he looked at me with concern. his orange eyes said it all.

"you almost turned to dust, sans…" papyrus stammered out and sat on the bed, looking at me, absolutely crushed. i couldn't bear to see him like that. i didn't believe him.

"n-no... y-you're kidding, right?" i looked at him frantically and saw the answer in his dim orange eyes. he held my shoulders and started sobbing.

"p-pap! stop it! y-you're not serious, right?! right?!" i was only ten when this happened. I never imagined this would happen, you know?

"sans… uncle left you with such a power knowing that would happen to you," papyrus managed choke out between sobs. i could only stare at my older brother. my head started aching again. the pain started coming back.

"but… he left me something too," papyrus looked at me, tears flowing from his eye sockets. his orange eyes started to brighten. he tightened his grip on my shoulders.

"he told me… that i can help you," he stated and i felt warm. i felt the pain disappearing. that moment, kiddo, was when I could finally live properly. everything felt so much better. i stared at papyrus with wonder.

"pap?" i never quite believed him for a second. "how and what…" papyrus could only look at me and cry again. he started laughing as well. he was glad and so happy to see it had worked out.

"sans!" papyrus shouted at me, "you won't have to worry about anything now," i held his hand in my hands and stared at it.

"see?" papyrus asked me weakly, his eye sockets welling with tears. "your most magnificent brother can heal you now," papyrus whispered, his palm glowing a dim orange.

"th-that… means i… i don't…" i was crying by then, because papyrus cured me of the one thing that could kill me and turn me to dust.

"yes, sans. your bones aren't fragile anymore," papyrus started laughing and squeezed me tightly.

you see, kiddo. A normal skeleton monster would have bones as strong as metal. When I was born… my bones were brittle, almost like glass. i wasn't allowed to live like the others, and i remember once when papyrus had to wrap me in bubble wrap to take me to grillby's. funny, i know, but it wasn't that great for me all the time. the weakest monster in the entire underground, that's what i was. no one ever figured out what caused it. even alphys never did. i hated my weak self. but i had the greatest brother in the world, didn't i? he taught me everything he could, including love and happiness. he… never failed to lose hope, you know? but that day, everything changed.

you might expect life to have been better, and i guess it was. asriel must have told you about that memory he saw of me in a bed, shivering and absolutely cold. that was almost a year ago. papyrus found me in my bed, cold as ice.

"i'll live brother, i know it," i always told him whenever i had one of those episodes of suddenly falling cold. he tried to heal me, all the time, but it didn't always work.

"sans, i think… this has something to do with your powers," papyrus handed me a cup of tea. i held the cup in my hands and waited. he looked at me helplessly.

"your brother is always here for you," he managed to say and placed a hand on my arm. warmth came back to my body. sometimes i did thank our uncle. most of the time, i despised him. that's all there is to that memory. i suffer a lot from what i have. but these days, it's gotten better.

* * *

"and there you go, some of the most important parts of my life," Sans ended his narrative. Asriel was listening intently the entire time. "i'll make sure to quiz you on this, bucko."

"Sans, I had no idea…" Frisk murmured. Sans laughed softly. Suddenly, the door crashed open. Asriel heard the sniffles and cries of his amazing aunt.

"SANS! THAT WAS A BEAUTIFUL STORY, SANS!" Papyrus rushed in, lunging for Sans. Asriel couldn't see what was happening, but he had a pretty accurate picture in his mind. He guessed that Frisk was watching all this enfold silently.

"p-papyrus! i… i wasn't expecting you to hear that…" Sans muttered, embarrassed. Papyrus let go of Sans and stood up. He looked at his nephews.

"It's great that you told our nephews about this, Brother," Papyrus stated gladly. "And that, is why I'm here. I had to practice a little bit. It's been a while since your magnificent aunt used his powers."

"Asriel! You're going to be fine! You hear me?!" Frisk exclaimed with joy, and Asriel smiled in the darkness. He would never see this darkness again. The dark he was so familiar with as Flowey. Asriel felt a pair of hands placed on his chest. Warmth started to flow from the hands to his body.

"Well, I certainly still can do this!" Papyrus excitedly declared. Asriel could feel the warmth spreading through him and he could feel something resonate within him. _My… soul?_ Asriel thought. He started losing consciousness again. His mind started slipping again.

He could see suddenly. He looked around the darkness and saw a dim light in the distance. _Is that my soul?_ He trudged on to reach the light.

The sight before him surprised him slightly. His soul wasn't a typical heart-shaped soul. It was two halves melded together, a human half and a monster half. He walked closer to it and stretched his hand to hold it. The soul descended slowly, falling like a snowflake. He held his soul closer to him. _So this is my soul… Frisk's would look like this too, right?_ He stood there in the darkness with the warm soul clutched in his hands. He felt his surroundings grow warmer and warmer still. He found his soul starting to glow intensely, like a star. _A star. I wonder if I can see that again…_ Asriel always wanted to see a star. He shut his eyes and let the light flood his mind, his entire being. The darkness started to dissipate, slowly and little by little. He started hearing again. All he could see was light now.

He opened his eyes to a three faces gathered over him. He heard himself shriek and pulled the blankets over his face, absolutely terrified to see two skeletons with glowing eyes and Frisk with bloodshot eyes. He felt the blankets being pulled out of his grasp.

"Asriel!" Frisk and Papyrus shouted and hugged him. Frisk wrapped his arms around Asriel and started laughing merrily. Papyrus quickly joined in, trying his best to hug both of them.

"Howdy!" Asriel greeted them in reply, grinning. He looked at Sans, who stood beside his bed with a soft smile. He nodded silently and waved.

"Don't ever do that again, Asriel. You have no idea how much-" Frisk started speaking.

"We were worried. You suddenly collapsed at the dinner table after eating my spaghetti! I mean-" Papyrus continued for him and Frisk cut him off again.

"I thought you were going to… But I'm just so glad you're okay!" Frisk ended, tightening his grip on Asriel.

"F-Frisk can't… breathe…" Asriel choked out. Frisk and Papyrus quickly let go of him. They looked at him with teary eyes.

"I wouldn't die, you know that," Asriel stated, and he smiled at the two of them. He held their hands. "Thank you. For being beside me while I wandered in my darkness. Papyrus, thank you for making it go away." Papyrus smiled sheepishly. He looked at Frisk and Sans.

"Thank you Frisk, for being there the entire time. And Sans, for telling me all that. I… I'm so happy that I have friends and family like all of you," Asriel choked out, feeling the tears falling down. He looked down, trying to stop the tears. He felt a pair of arms around him in a hug.

"bucko, don't cry. as long as you're with us, you'll never have to cry again. okay?" Sans stated from behind Asriel, holding him from the back. He nodded, sobbing continuously. He looked up at Frisk and Papyrus. They smiled back at him. _I'm not alone…_ Asriel thought to himself.

"Sans, I didn't know you'd ever hug someone," Papyrus spoke out. Frisk slapped Papyrus's arm. Asriel could see that Frisk was trying not to laugh. He felt the arms around his waist slide away slowly. Asriel turned to see his uncle blushing. Sans wasn't moving. Asriel waved his hand before his face.

"Sans?" Asriel asked, wondering if his uncle had temporarily frozen in time and space. Papyrus and Frisk started laughing.

"Uncle Sans?" Asriel gazed into Sans's eye sockets, still glowing a ghostly blue. He held Sans's face. He thought of ways to rouse him again. Determined, he smiled and thought of a pun.

"Say, Sans, do you wanna hear… a humerus joke?" Asriel asked with a silly grin. He heard Papyrus groan and Frisk slap his face. _Wasn't that good?_ Asriel asked Frisk silently. No was the reply he received. He waited for Sans to respond. Sans's face stopped blushing slowly and his face relaxed into a smile again.

"bucko, that was a great one," Sans replied, continuing on as if nothing was wrong. "also, um… papyrus… let's go out for a while, okay?" He walked swiftly over to Papyrus and gripped his arm. He quickly exited, with a whimpering Papyrus in tow. Asriel and Frisk looked at their aunt and uncle leave and looked at each other. Frisk sat on the bed and held Asriel's hand.

"Life won't be great without you, Brother," Frisk muttered. Asriel nodded in agreement. He looked out the window opposite him. Nightfall had arrived and Snowdin had put on its colorful lights once more. Asriel looked back to his brother.

"I'll never leave you, you know that." Asriel replied, still holding Frisk's hand. The two of them sat there watching the lights from the window. _Brothers. Family. Friends._ _That's who we are, right?_ Frisk asked Asriel silently. _Definitely_ , Asriel replied back. In that silence, the door suddenly burst open. They turned around to see their family.

"ASRIEL!" Toriel and Asgore exclaimed joyously, holding a giant pie in their hands. Butterscotch cinnamon, to be precise. Papyrus and Sans immediately entered behind them, Sans with a pot full of hot dogs and Papyrus holding at least thirty party hats. Behind them all, two monsters also entered.

"Alphys! Undyne!" Frisk exclaimed and jumped up, quickly dashing to them. Their eyes widened with smiles. Undyne and Alphys walked over to Asriel with Frisk in Undyne's arms.

"Honored to meet you, your highness," Undyne stated with dignity, her raucous voice solid as iron. Alphys looked at Undyne and looked at Asriel. She started blushing again.

"H-h-hi! I-I-I'm A-A-Alphys…" Alphys stammered out, trying her best to compose herself. Asriel looked at the two and grinned. Alphys seemed to blush even more from that.

"Happy to meet you both! Frisk told me so much about both of you being an unimaginable cute couple!" Asriel declared, and he did remember Frisk saying that about these two. Undyne's blue scales took on a slightly reddish hue. Alphys's eyes started darting around. Asriel realized that it was perhaps the wrong thing to say. He looked helplessly at everyone else in the room. Sans shrugged, Papyrus snickered. Asgore and Toriel were too busy gazing at their son with a sense of gladness, and Frisk was too busy laughing. Asriel slid off the bed, leaving the awkwardness and to his parents. He grabbed Frisk and dragged him along. Asgore gathered his children and Toriel into a large hug. They were huddled in a small group.

"We were both so worried. We didn't know what to do," Asgore whispered. Toriel started patting Asriel and Frisk. Asriel beamed at his parents. He looked at everyone else, who had gathered around him, equally overjoyed.

 _Thank you, everyone._ Asriel thought to himself. _I love all of you so much. I can feel everyone's hearts and souls. All full of hope and dreams. And mine too._

"so, when are we eating the pie?" Sans asked, looking at everyone.

"Sans, that was a beautiful moment we were having there!" Papyrus shouted back, trying his best not to laugh. Toriel looked at Sans. She flipped her phone out and started texting rapidly. Sans checked his phone and snickered. Alphys was staring at Asriel and Frisk with a twinkle in her eyes. Undyne nudged her, checking to see if she responded. Asgore held the pie in his hands carefully. Frisk looked at Asriel.

"Well, what are we waiting for?" Frisk asked, "This party's for you, you know that?" Frisk grinned. Asriel smiled back in reply.

"Will there be enough pie for everyone, Mom?" Asriel asked, and he knew the warmth and light in this house would never cease, lasting forever through night and day.

* * *

Thank you for reading! I hope you look forward to the next chapter! Feel free to leave a review and I will update soon.


	9. Chapter 8 - Just In Time

Ahhh I'm so late with this update, I'm so sorry I was so busy these past few days and even weeks (idk) I'm really really sorry :( Also I found myself rather slow in writing this chapter because I wasn't so used to writing... Yeah sorry about that...

Mettaton: THAT DOES NOT MEAN YOU CAN DELAY MY APPEARANCE

Papyrus: M-Mettaton?!

Sans:

Enjoy this chapter, guys!

* * *

 **Chapter 8 - Just In Time**

Asriel heard someone snap his fingers deftly and clearly. Somehow the house changed into a disco within a split second. Asriel heard the clanking of metal footsteps and the light switches turning off and on repeatedly. He looked around in the flashing darkness and found the faces of his friends and family in absolute wonder. Frisk seemed to be doing the same as well.

"Oh hello, my beauties!" A distinctly high-pitched voice boomed, and Asriel tried not to panic. He felt a palm rest on his head, reassuring him. He lifted the hand and looked at Sans who smirked at him.

"Ah, I see a new face today!" The voice continued on, and Asriel flinched as he felt a cold metal touch. "Oh dear, quite the jumpy one, aren't you?" He felt slightly irritated by then.

"About time you showed up, Mettaton," Undyne grumbled out, and the voice laughed out. The lights came back on and Asriel finally saw who this Mettaton was. _A robot?!_ Asriel thought excitedly. He jumped from his seat and looked at Mettaton, who was right beside him. Clad in maroon and grey, he smiled (if robots could truly smile) and winked at Asriel. Everyone sat still, and Papyrus stared at the robot. Sans groaned a little.

"Y-You're a robot?! Th-That's-" Asriel was cut off by Mettaton's somewhat metallic and high-pitched voice.

"Magnificent! Yes, that, I am!" Mettaton placed a hand on Asriel's head and ruffled his fur. "Asriel Dreemurr, such a dazzling beauty you are, looking just like his majesty and her highness. Ah, where are my manners?!" Mettaton straightened himself and let go of Asriel. He arranged his "hair" and saluted Asriel.

"I, Mettaton, am honored to meet you, my prince," Mettaton's voice sounded much grander and deeper for some reason. He held out his hand. Asriel grabbed it, shaking it. Frisk seemed to be trying his best not to laugh. Asgore and Toriel simply smiled in joy.

"Uhh- I-I hope we can be great friends, Mettaton," Asriel stated, looking into the eyes of the robot. Something clicked within Mettaton. Mettaton's face froze and he tilted his head.

"Friends?" Mettaton's voice had turned icy cold. Everyone stood up from their seats. Alphys held a remote control in her hand, perhaps to switch the robot off; but Undyne held her back. Asriel gazed into Mettaton's eyes, dark pools of shining metal.

"Yes, friends! That's exactly what we need to be!" Mettaton declared warmly, and the tension vanished with that. Asriel grinned weakly and sat back down in his seat.

"This, my darlings, calls for a grand party!" Mettaton exclaimed and started throwing confetti in the air. The laughter and chatter continued, the party had started officially.

Within ten minutes, Undyne and Papyrus held a contest to see who could devour the most amount of Starfait without throwing up. Frisk held his nose up at the stuff, but Asriel found the dessert absolutely heavenly. He didn't remember eating anything as good as his own mother's pie. Toriel and Asgore shared their Starfait, taking turns eating with one spoon. It seemed as if they had started their way back to being one of the most lovey-dovey couples in the universe.

"NGAHHH! Papyrus! You'll never win!" Undyne growled fiercely between each bite of the food. Papyrus continued to chow down glass after glass of Starfait. Mettaton had kindly provided the party with all the food he had at the MTT Resort; thus allowing all of this to happen.

"isn't my brother the coolest?" Sans muttered, watching his older brother still ravenously munching the starfaits. Frisk played around with a strand of stray spaghetti on his plate, slightly bored. Asriel stood up slowly, trying not to get any attention.

 _Frisk, do you want to get out of here?_ Asriel thought out to Frisk. He turned swiftly at him and nodded. They walked silently out of the dining room, taking one last look at the contest that still went on and the family that sat around, happy and merry.

* * *

"So this is Snowdin, huh?" Asriel asked Frisk, the two of them walking through the colorful streets, "I've never really been here, to be honest." Hand in hand, the two walked past monsters laughing and smiling, all in the same holiday spirit. The two stopped in front of Grillby's, trying to peer through the grease-stained windows.

"What is this place?" Asriel asked Frisk. Frisk dragged Asriel through the front doors of Grillby's. The place was dark. Lights were all out. No one was in there. Not a soul was in there.

"W-what?!" Frisk stammered out, evidently shocked at what lay in front of him. Both of them knew this place wasn't supposed to be like this. The door shut silently behind them, engulfing the two of them in absolute darkness. Asriel grabbed onto Frisk and tried to keep calm.

"My, my, my, how on earth did you two manage to get here?" A familiar voice rang out from the darkness. A light switched on. Mettaton stood in front of them in his shiny robot self, posing in a way that showed off his legs most. Frisk quickly stood in front of Asriel, spreading his arms out to shield Asriel.

"Why are you here?!" Frisk shouted angrily at Mettaton, and he backed off a little bit with Asriel. Asriel stood behind Frisk, his hands atop Frisk's shoulders. Both of them trembled in fear.

"And the human stands up for the monster," Mettaton declared, "Truly a tragic story worth a thousand tears, is it not?" He held his arms up gracefully and snapped his fingers. He winked once at Asriel.

"Hit it!" Mettaton shouted, and the lights momentarily went out. Frisk and Asriel froze up, standing still as statues. Suddenly the lights came back.

Around them, monsters had circled them, all of them with warm smiles and party hats atop their heads. Monsters from all over the Underground had been there the entire time, waiting in the darkness to surprise them.

"WELCOME BACK, PRINCE ASRIEL!" Everyone chanted in unison, and Asriel couldn't believe what was happening. He looked at Frisk, who was making the biggest smile ever. Asriel pointed at Frisk and at the crowd of monsters, wondering if this had all been a plan the entire time. Frisk nodded and laughed. Asriel looked around and smiled at every monster.

"Uh- I…" Asriel tried to continue, but he just smiled at everyone and held Frisk closer to him. "Th-Thank you, everyone, but today, I think we should be happy about more than just me. I'm back thanks to Frisk here." Frisk flustered and looked down on the floor.

"If it weren't for Frisk, I wouldn't be here. I'm so happy that I have him as my brother and friend. And that's why I'm here with everyone," Asriel finished, his hands still on Frisk's shoulders. Asgore and Toriel seemed to be sniffling, their eyes wet with tears. Undyne and Alphys only looked on at them with a slight smile, party hats askew atop their heads. Papyrus was with Mettaton among the crowds. Sans walked out of the circle and stood with them. He held up a hot dog.

"so… party?" Sans asked with a smirk, and the entire crowd erupted into shouts and screams of joy and excitement. And so the night continued with the lights in the town of Snowdin.

* * *

In the outskirts of Snowdin, a tall figure stood beneath the moonlight, looking down at the illuminated buildings. He gazed into the lights, and seemed to be remembering something. The monster stood still in the cold. He grinned maliciously.

"I wonder if my little nephews are still here…" The monster muttered to himself, "And of course, my two little dreamers." The monster started laughing softly, and he faded back into the shadows.

* * *

Back in Grillby's, where all the monsters lay asleep on the floor and tables and chairs, only one monster sat awake. Rather, a robot was awake.

"Papyrus, you're no fun at all," Mettaton whispered, he doted upon this particular skeleton. He pressed his finger on Papyrus's cheekbone, and Papyrus groaned a little in annoyance. He also somehow managed to make a slight "Nyeh" while doing so. Mettaton chuckled. He didn't notice the shadow looming over him while he continued to poke at Papyrus.

"mettaton, hey," Sans leaned over from behind Mettaton and whispered, "who do you think you're poking?" Mettaton flinched in fright, and slowly turned to face Sans.

"H-Hello Sans! I didn't quite see you there," Mettaton replied, trying his best not to look into Sans's eye sockets that glowed blue with fury. "I was j-just trying to see if Papyrus would wake up, you know?" Sans made a sinister smile.

"oh? is that so?" Sans asked, his smile continuing to widen. Mettaton couldn't do anything. He fell silent and simply stared down into his hands. He hoped Sans wouldn't do anything to him.

"take care of my brother, okay?" Sans finally muttered, standing up silently. Mettaton could only look at him with wonder and awe. He nodded slowly.

Sans walked on to where Asriel and Frisk were. He smiled at the two. They had remembered to save him a spot to sleep. Amidst all the monsters that slept and partied Grillby's that day, a human was among them. Sans wondered if that would happen even in the Overworld, now that the barrier was gone. He sat down slowly between his nephews and dreamed of all the things they would do in the Overworld.

* * *

When morning came, Asriel was still asleep. Frisk too. Besides them, almost every other monster had gone back to their homes. The restaurant was empty save for the two children and their parents. Toriel and Asgore sat together with cups of tea in their hands

"And that was how Sans and I first met, through a door," Toriel concluded her story. Asgore grinned at her, as if hearing one of the most delightful tales ever.

"Doesn't everyone appreciate your bad jokes, Tori?" Asgore asked, and Toriel nudged him sharply in the side with her elbow. Asgore laughed loudly, and Asriel started waking up, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. Toriel quickly hushed Asgore and went to her son's side.

"Hey Mom," Asriel yawned and stretched, looking around him. "We're still in Grillby's?" Toriel nodded. Asgore stood up quickly and walked off to the kitchen. Both Toriel and Asriel looked at him with curiosity.

"I'm making breakfast," Asgore announced grandly, brandishing the pots and pans like a solemn warrior. Toriel couldn't help but laugh. Asriel looked on with a child-like wonder at his father.

"Mmh- Breakfast? I want some too, you know…" Frisk mumbled groggily, while trying to sit up slowly. He leaned on Toriel and yawned.

"Well, Asgore? You heard the kids," Toriel called out, ruffling up Frisk's bed hair. Frisk giggled and looked at Toriel.

"Morning, Mama," He chirped out, "Hey Dad! You're making breakfast?!" Asgore turned back and smiled, holding up a thumbs-up. Asriel and Frisk crawled up to Toriel and laid their heads on her lap, and they looked up at her with content looks on their faces. Toriel didn't think anything could surpass this level of cuteness. She looked at her husband who was furiously using fire magic to cook up something. When Asgore looked back at her, she only smiled and waved back, assuring him that he'd do everything right. She hoped he was.

Asgore placed a great big bowl on top of the counter and hit the bell, sounding a clear, high note through the building. He had a great big smile on his face.

"Breakfast is served," Asgore announced in his deep voice. Asriel and Frisk dashed for the counter and seated themselves. Asriel was famished, he couldn't wait any longer to eat. He looked expectantly at the bowl and its contents. Frisk did the same. As Toriel stood beside Asgore behind the counter, her face tightened as she saw the bowl.

"Gorey dear, um, what is that?" Toriel asked kindly, and Asgore looked at her with widened eyes. Asriel didn't know what was really in the bowl too. Frisk seemed to be thinking something out.

"Why, it's a bowl of snail stew, Tori!" Asgore exclaimed and Asriel thought he saw Frisk turn slightly green. The bowl contained a lumpy mass of dark, black things that didn't quite remind him of anything snail-like.

"W-Wow, it looks amazing, Gorey!" Toriel forced a smile and held up a spoon. Asgore's eyes glinted with absolute happiness. Toriel swallowed hard, and Frisk and Asriel looked at her with pleading eyes, as if asking her to not do it. Toriel nodded slowly, as if accepting death. She pushed the spoon into the globular mass with a sickening plop and held it up. Was the thing moving on her spoon?

Toriel snapped the spoon up before she could hesitate and quickly munched on the food. Asriel prayed for his mother's safety. Frisk had already shut his eyes. Toriel continued munching and her expression softened.

"I-It's actually really good…?" Toriel admitted and took another spoonful. Both Frisk and Asriel looked at their mother in horror. Asgore looked proudly at his wife and his creation. He looked at his children this time, holding out a spoon for each of them. Asriel and Frisk slowly took a spoon for themselves and poked at the black, lumpy mass in the bowl. Without hesitation, Asriel gobbled the black stew up, and hoped that he wouldn't die. Frisk, seeing his brother do so, tried a little bit of the stew. Asriel decided the stew was actually good. He nodded and Frisk and Frisk's eyes widened.

"So? How is it?" Asgore asked them with a large smile on his face. His children grinned at him and nodded in agreement, spooning up more and more bites of the stew. Asgore's face brightened up as he continued to watch his family eat up the stew enthusiastically.

Satisfied with the meal, the four of them tidied up the place for Grillby. In everything they did, the Dreemurr family laughed and joked, always elated to be together. Perhaps out of all these years living, this was when they were most cheerful. Their lives had only just begun.

* * *

In the forests near Snowdin, the mysterious figure cradled the human soul in his hand. He cradled it carefully, just like a mother would a baby. He breathed deeply and looked around him. He smiled sinisterly. He hated this world so much. The world that forgot about him. The world that _left_ him behind. And the monsters who abandoned him. He would get his revenge. He would, and there was no one that was going to stop him, or so he thought. Everyone would be powerless before him. He will no longer be out of existence. He would be a part of the world that buried him, a part of the world that destroyed his very existence.

"And it's just. In. Time," Gaster whispered into shadows.

* * *

Oh my. Sounds ominous. I hope you stay with me for the next chapter... I'm sorry for the late update. I hope you liked this chapter!


	10. Chapter 9 - Darkness Starts

First of all, I'd love to thank ALL MY VIEWERS. Thank you so much for reading this fanfic, I honestly didn't figure so many people would read this... *sniffles* Thank you thank you! You guys are the best. Anyways, I've managed to write this chapter relatively faster than I thought (maybe not idk).

Mettaton: When will I appear again?!

Napstablook: oh...

Mettaton: Oh- I-I mean, when will BLOOKY and I appear?!

(P.S. I have plans to introduce RG-01 and RG-02 some time in the future)

Gaster: I'm not that evil, am I...?

Please enjoy this chapter!

* * *

 **Chapter 9 – Darkness Starts**

Sans woke up, startled. His entire head ached again, just like _that_ time. He leaned back into his pillow and tried to relax. Breathing deeply. Thinking about ketchup. Remembering the jokes he shared with Toriel. His head continued to ache slowly, throbbing and never truly fading away.

"p-papyrus… a-are you there…?" Sans weakly called out, trying to reach out to his brother. He tumbled out of the bed and struggled to breathe. It wasn't just the pain. He could feel the atmosphere stifling and thick, like water. He crawled slowly to the corridor. Darkness swallowed up the entire house, devoid of any sort of light. Sans felt a chill down his spine.

"papyrus, i-if this is a joke, i-i'm not liking it one bit," Sans called out down the empty hallway. He heard someone shuffling towards him. Sans fumbled for the door, trying to get up at the same time. He swung the door with all his might, trying to close it. Just as he thought the door had closed, a hand stopped it with a thud. Sans looked at the hand with disbelief. A hand with a single hole through the palm. He didn't want to believe it. He cried for Papyrus. He screamed and shouted.

"But nobody came," A voice whispered.

* * *

Toriel kept looking at her phone repeatedly, as if waiting for a call or a message. She did this constantly almost every five seconds, and Asriel looked at her with concern. He took a seat beside her on the sofa. They were still at the Snowdin Inn, taking up residence for the moment. Asriel did like the cozy little place, but he wished that the monsters beside their room put a little more effort into sleeping silently. He looked at his mother, hand on her arm.

"Are you waiting for a call, Mom?" Asriel asked, having a good idea of who it would be. Toriel looked at her son and tried to hide her embarrassment.

"Oh, i-it's nothing, child," Toriel replied with a small smile. She looked out the window, watching Asgore and Frisk making a snowman. Asriel stayed with his mother to keep her company. He looked at the phone's screen to see what his mother was up to. Messages were sent to Sans, but none had come back. Asriel looked at his disappointed mother.

"Should we go visit Sans, Mom?" Asriel chirped up, attempting to cheer his mother up. Toriel's ears perked up. Her bright blue eyes held a twinkle again. Asriel smiled at his mother and took her hand.

"I wonder what Uncle's up to, Mom," Asriel said to his Mother as they started to walk out of the room.

"Probably coming up with more bad jokes," Toriel replied, walking in rhythm with her son. She shut the door silently behind them.

* * *

Within moments, the entire Dreemurr family was on their way to Sans and Papyrus's house. With Frisk on Asgore's shoulders and Asriel in between Toriel and Asgore, the family was indeed a joyful sight for all monsters. Dusk had fallen in the Underground, and warm lights from houses illuminated the streets of Snowdin. Strangely, only one house lacked this quality.

"Well, that's weird," Frisk declared, sensing something. Toriel knocked on the door. Asriel tried calling out for Sans and Papyrus. But nobody came.

"Tori, maybe something happened to them…" Asgore said with a growing sense of apprehension. Asriel hoped nothing horrible happened. Frisk looked at the door with fear.

"Sans?! Papyrus?!" Toriel started to yell and pound the door with her fists. Asriel took a few steps back to Frisk. Asgore stepped up to the doorstep. He took a breath and smashed his shoulder into the door. With a great crash, the entire door fell away from the frame. The four of them stared at the darkness within the house.

"Is it supposed to be this dark?" Frisk asked finally. Toriel slowly shook her head and entered the house. She flipped the switches on. Everything was a mess. The couch was torn apart, the television screen smashed, and books about quantum physics lay tattered and torn. Windows were also broken, bones were smashed here and there. Asriel felt a chill behind him. He didn't like what he was seeing. Toriel dashed upstairs and Asgore followed along, but Frisk and Asriel remained downstairs, staring at the mess around them. Asriel noticed a square piece of paper on the ground, almost untouched. He picked it up. He shone it in the light and looked at it carefully. It was a photograph of Sans and Papyrus, along with someone he didn't know. He walked over to Frisk.

"Look at this," Asriel said to Frisk, handing him the photograph. Frisk studied it carefully and his face started to get paler. He looked at Asriel with wild-eyes.

"A-Asriel, this photograph…" Frisk whispered, his fingers trembling, "I-I know this person." Frisk looked up at Asriel with fearful eyes. As Asriel was about to say something, he heard a piercing scream. It was his mother.

"MOM?!" Asriel shouted, running up the stairs. He ran to Sans's room to find his mother crouching on the ground, his father holding her tightly in his grasp. Asriel trudged over to his mother.

"M-Mom? Dad? W-What's the matter?" Asriel asked softly, and it wasn't until he looked closer that he saw what his mother was holding.

* * *

Alphys sat in front of her giant computer, scrolling through extensive documents the previous Royal Scientist left behind. She never managed to tackle the entire archives of what _he_ left, but she always tried to in her spare time. It was already late into the night and Undyne was already asleep upstairs. The things the documents contained intrigued her. She never thought about the possibilities with what he left behind. She took off her glasses and rubbed her eyes. She stared at one word.

"Gaster..." Alphys whispered, "What were you even thinking of?" She put her glasses back on and promptly shut her computer down, thinking of going to sleep for now. She swung from her chair and looked up to see the clock. She froze. A shadow loomed over her.

"N-No…" Alphys stammered, taking a few steps backwards as she pushed the chair away from her. "Th-That's not possible. You can't be here. Y-You-"

"I am back," Gaster cut her off, spreading his arms out, "the Barrier has opened. How is it not possible that I am here?" His cold voice rang out in the dimly lit laboratory. Alphys quietly slid her phone out of her coat. She tapped on the keypad a few times. She wondered if Sans would get her message.

"Trying to contact someone?" Gaster smiled slyly, his eyes glinted a malicious black. "Too bad he won't." He shrugged and walked closer to Alphys. Alphys looked at the familiar porcelain white face with cracks in it. The black suit he always wore. She couldn't believe it still. It wasn't possible.

"You know, I've always wondered how a girl like you managed to take over my position," Gaster stated nonchalantly, "but then again, you're about as useful as my nephews who could never do anything right." Alphys shuddered upon hearing this, and she continued to back away from him. What could she do? Could she call for Mettaton? Undyne?

"G-Gaster, why are you here?" Alphys tried to drag some time. She clicked Undyne's number, trying to reach her somehow. Gaster chuckled, holding his pierced palm up to his mouth. He looked at Alphys with hatred.

"To become God of everything," Gaster replied, matter-of-factly, "Now that the Barrier is open… I can rule over everything, can't I?" Gaster made a fist and laughed.

"There's no way you can-" Alphys was cut off by Gaster holding a finger to her lips, silencing her.

"Now now, I'm sure you've managed to figure out what I've been up to by reading the documents I left behind, no?" Gaster's eyes seemed to slit more and more as he held a broad grin upon his face. Alphys nodded slowly.

"Smart girl. If only my nephews were just as smart," Gaster stated, as he bent lower to look at Alphys squarely in the eyes.

"I hope you've prepared yourself for a bad time, my little scientist," Gaster whispered and Alphys couldn't help but cry. She started screaming for help, but not a sound was made. Her eyes widened in fear and she tried to type messages and call out for help.

"But nobody. Came," Gaster stated with a wicked grin. His eyes turned a deep scarlet and he stood back up. Lights started to flicker. Gaster started laughing shrilly. Alphys shut her eyes and prayed for the best of luck.

Suddenly, Gaster's laughters were cut off and he fell on the floor with a dull thud. Alphys slowly opened her eyes and the tears started welling up. Undyne stood atop Gaster, with a spear aimed at Gaster's neck. Alphys never felt any gladder to see Undyne.

"Who the hell are you?" Undyne growled out, pressing the tip of her spear into Gaster's neck. Gaster chuckled and only shrugged. Undyne looked at Alphys and looked back at the monster beneath her. She lifted her spear and smashed it into Gaster's head. With a sickening crack, Gaster started to shimmer out of existence, leaving nothing behind but the echoes of laughter.

"U-U-Undyne… I-I-I-" Alphys tried to speak out as she started to cry, and she felt safe and sound. Undyne wrapped her arms around Alphys and stroked her head.

"You're safe now," Undyne murmured as she tried to comfort Alphys. She knew the monster who attacked Alphys wasn't dead yet. She would see him again. And when that happens, she would kill that thing.

* * *

"A bottle of ketchup…?" Asriel managed to ask. He was baffled at this. He looked at his mother again. She was crying, but not out of grief. Out of laughter. She was laughing so hard that she was barely holding herself together. Frisk had finally arrived at the scene and could only look at their mother. They waited for Toriel to finally stop laughing. She looked at the bottle once more.

"Sans told me before that he would leave a bottle of ketchup as a sign," Toriel finally managed, wiping the tears off her face, "a sign that he is in fact, alive and well. Let me try calling him." Toriel flipped her phone open and dialed the number rapidly. She waited.

"Sans?!" Toriel shouted in delight. Her face brightened up and she seemed relieved to hear her friend's voice again. Everyone else made a sigh of relief, especially Asgore. Toriel made a few "Mhms" and "You Bonehead" comments before flipping the phone back into her pocket.

"Alright, let's go see your silly Uncle and Aunt," Toriel announced, grabbing Asgore, Frisk, and Asriel by the hands and dragging them out of the room. She still had the bottle of ketchup clutched in her arms. _At least nothing terrible happened._ Asriel thought to himself. He still wondered who that person was in the photograph. He looked at Frisk, who seemed afraid.

 _Frisk, are you going to tell me about that monster?_ Asriel asked quietly. Frisk looked at Asriel. He seemed to be thinking about something.

 _Yes._ Frisk made a short reply. Asgore looked at them with a raised eyebrow. Asriel didn't notice it, however. He could only think over and over of the photograph. He knew that person had something to do with this.

* * *

"So where exactly are they, Tori?" Asgore finally asked her after trudging through the outskirts of Snowdin. Toriel only smiled at him and continued to walk. Asriel noticed where they were going. Frisk seemed to do so as well.

"We're on our way to the entrance of the Ruins, my dear," Toriel stated, amused. Asgore stayed silent and only laughed a little, as if understanding something. Asriel and Frisk walked together, silently discussing things their parents might not wish to hear.

 _So who is that monster?_ Asriel asked Frisk. He did seem to recognize who it was, but he couldn't quite put a finger on it.

 _Gaster._ Frisk replied back slowly. He seemed greatly troubled. Asriel knew that name.

 _Gaster… You mean the previous Royal Scientist?_ Asriel's eyes widened. He finally got it. He remembered who this Gaster was.

 _You know him?_ Frisk asked, glancing at him with fear. Asriel nodded slowly.

 _He freaked me out during my childhood. He would often visit us in our palace. The creepiest monster I've seen, to be honest. He would often smile and look at me… Those were the worst. I never really knew what he was up to though._ Asriel admitted. _How do you know Gaster?_

 _Well… I was in Alphys's Lab before I battled you, remember? And I picked up an old and battered journal there… It was filled with scribbles and everything, but I could read it somehow. They were all entries made by Gaster. His experiments. His findings. His hideous acts._ Frisk stated with a shudder. _You know that Alphys inadvertently melded monsters together to get those Amalgamates… But Gaster… He did worse. He… He managed to extract the souls of monsters while they were alive._

 _How is that even possible?_ Asriel wondered, feeling the chill once again. Frisk took a deep breath. Asriel held Frisk's cold hand, encouraging him.

 _He abducted monsters and split their heads open, alive and all. I don't even want to imagine it. He would then extract the soul out of the monster and still manage to get the monsters to live. In such a state, the souls would last at least a week, just enough for him to carry out some more gruesome experiments._ Frisk shook his head and looked at Asriel. Asriel couldn't believe it.

 _Then… Those monsters would be alive for in that state before dying… Right..?_ Asriel asked weakly, and Frisk could only nod at him. Asriel held on to Frisk's hand even tighter and continued walking behind their parents.

 _He's… Evil, Asriel. He heard them screaming in pain and agony but he could only smile. He wrote that in his journal. I-I honestly wish I didn't find that journal._ Frisk looked down at the ground. Asriel let go of Frisk's hand and placed an arm around his shoulder.

 _You're always so brave to go venturing out on everything, you know that?_ Asriel gave him a pat on the back and they continued walking on.

"Sans and Papyrus… I wonder what they've got to with such a horrid monster…" Asriel muttered. Frisk held the photograph in his hands.

"He was an uncle," Frisk murmured, and Asriel looked at him with shock. "Gaster last worked with Sans on something like… A time machine... But..." Frisk faltered.

"Gaster fell into his own creation and he vanished into the timelines and alternate universes, that's all I know," Frisk finished off, and Asriel pondered about that. _A time machine?_

"How do you even know all this?" Asriel finally asked, marveling at his brother's ability to know so much. Frisk made a pained smile.

"My friends are important to me. I try to do everything I can to know them better, Asriel," Frisk replied. Asriel brought Frisk to hug and nuzzled him. _You're the best brother I can ever ask for._ Asriel thought to himself. Frisk grinned warmly and looked ahead of them.

"We should catch up to them, shouldn't we?" Frisk asked cheerfully. Asriel nodded. Frisk suddenly grabbed his arm and started dashing forward, taking Asriel with him. They started laughing and running towards their parents, running under the night sky. Toriel and Asgore stood there waiting for them, in front of the doors that once lay shut and locked. They waved at their children, wondering what took them so long.

"So. Where's Sans and Papyrus?" Asriel asked with a wide smile. Toriel and Asgore trudged along the trees and pushed a few trees to the side. There, between the trees, was a camera and a door. Frisk's jaw dropped slightly and stared at the door. Asriel looked at him curiously.

"So this was what the camera was all about?" Frisk asked loudly, and the door slammed open. Sans stood there with a goofy smile. Asriel still didn't understand what was going on. Asgore and Toriel didn't seem to either.

"you got it, kiddo," Sans declared, "welcome to our other home. it's where papyrus and i hang out sometimes." Papyrus popped behind Sans and dashed at everyone in front of their door.

"Wowie! Everyone's here to see me?! The Great and Almighty Papyrus?!" Papyrus shouted with joy and gave everyone a hug. Asriel and Frisk felt happy to see them again. All of them were so worried.

"let's get inside for now," Sans announced, still smiling. Everyone managed to fit through the door and entered. The door shut slowly with a squeak, and the trees slowly creaked back to their original state, hiding the door and camera from view.

* * *

"So that was Gaster?" Undyne asked Alphys, who sat beside her on the River Person's boat. They were on their way to Snowdin, wanting to see if the others were all okay.

"Yes. The previous Royal Scientist, Gaster," Alphys stated sadly. "He was a brilliant monster. I wonder why he's turned that way…" Alphys looked at the dark waters.

"Beware of the man who speaks in hands…" The River Person uttered, and the two of them flinched. They didn't expect him to speak so suddenly. Undyne looked at him irritated and the River Person cowered and continued to row from time to time.

"Well, whether we know it or not, he's back from being dead," Undyne spat out, not bothering to hide her contempt. "He'll never harm anyone as long as I am here." Alphys felt her face blush slightly and she looked at Undyne in awe.

"What?! I-I still have to protect my friends, you know?!" Undyne exclaimed, slightly embarrassed. Alphys laughed a little and gave her a hug. She held her for a while. The River Person made a slight coughing noise.

"Oh look, we're here," Undyne choked out and climbed off with Alphys. The two of them walked away, hand in hand towards the town. The River Person looked at them and started humming his little tune.

"Tra la la, what a time to be alive…" The River Person chuckled softly. His hood unraveled to reveal a white face. He cackled and laughed, fading into the darkness, the very darkness that took him in when he fell into his creation. He knew that same darkness would start soon. Very soon.

* * *

Oh my me oh my... Dr. Gaster doesn't seem to be the nicest monster around town...? Again, thank you so much my beloved readers, and if you want to leave a review on what I should improve or anything you want to say, feel free to do so. Thank you!


	11. Chapter 10 - Reveal

Greetings! It's been such a long time! (Idk is two weeks or so quite long) I was so busy with finals and everything! I'm tremendously sorry for all my readers who were waiting for the next chapter to magically appear... I didn't mean to take such a long break, but now that Christmas Break is here, I'll do my best to write more! Thank you for waiting, and -

Asriel: Took a long time, didn't you?

Frisk: So amazes, wow

Toriel: Children, please! _Aside to Author:_ But you could have written this a bit more quickly...

Sans: taking breaks is what the author and i can do best

Papyrus: Wait where am I

Asgore: Am I even mentioned

Mettaton: OUTRAGEOUS

Please enjoy this chapter of About a Dreamer!

* * *

 **Chapter 10 - Reveal**

It was still dark outside for some reason. Asriel looked at the clock hanging on the wall. It was a quarter to five. _Why isn't it getting any brighter outside…?_ Asriel wondered, shifting the curtains every now and then. Everyone was asleep. On the couch, on the floor, in the beds, and just about everywhere in the hidden house in the forests of Snowdin.

 _I didn't know how much I wanted this life of mine. Everything here._ Asriel placed a hand on Frisk's shoulder. He looked around the place and took a deep breath. The sound of fire magic crackling in the fireplace soothed him and he was in comfort. Dawn had just approached and the forests started to brighten up. He sat there thinking of everything that happened recently.

 _First it was about the souls… Gerson and Frisk. Then it was Mom and Dad, followed up by the Skelebros. That was when I found a family. And then… I met Undyne, Alphys, and Mettaton._ Asriel counted the names with his fingers. He grinned and looked back at Frisk. Frisk was snoring lightly. Asriel savored the warm sunlight flickering in until he felt a chill.

"Feeling reunited at last, my little prince?" A sharp voice whispered in Asriel's mind. Asriel quickly looked around and jumped up. His heart started pounding.

"H-How did you get here?!" Asriel shouted, trying not to panic. He continued looking around, searching for Gaster. He could hear Gaster's footsteps getting closer and closer.

"Why, this is my beloved nephews' little abode! How can I possibly _not_ know?" Gaster's voice reached a rather sarcastic falsetto as he said that. Asriel had enough of this.

"Show yourself! Why do you hide in the darkness?!" Asriel shouted with as much courage he could muster. A tall, dark figure suddenly appeared behind him, petrifying Asriel. He looked into the dark, empty eyes of Gaster, who had a crooked smile pasted upon his face. Asriel tried to step back slowly. Gaster chuckled maliciously.

"Your majesty," Gaster bowed gracefully as he said that. He spread his arms out in a gesture of kindness, if he truly did have any. Asriel realized something dreadful. He looked behind him, where Frisk should have been sleeping on the floor. Darkness surrounded them. Fathomless, black as the deepest night, Asriel cowered in the dark. All he could see for now was Gaster.

"Get me out of here this instant," Asriel demanded, keeping up the show of courage. He didn't know how long it would last. Gaster snapped his fingers and the scenery changed to an abandoned lab, dark and dingy.

"I suppose this place might be better," Gaster muttered, "Prince, I will not keep you here for long. All I wish is to ask something from you." Gaster's fake smile started to stretch even further up his face, as if slowly cutting through his porcelain face. Asriel never noticed that Gaster was creeping closer and closer to him.

"You will not get anything from anyone, especially me!" Asriel spat back at Gaster, his arms crossed. Asriel looked up at the dark figure. Black liquid streamed from Gaster's eyes, and his mask-like face continued to crack. Gaster smiled to the point his own face was falling apart. Asriel felt colder than before, and he felt his entire being shiver and shake.

"Afraid, little prince?" Gaster never moved his lips but his raspy, high voice never ceased to echo in Asriel's head. Asriel couldn't move. He tried to struggle. Gaster laughed softly.

"Foolish monsters. Thinking I was dead after all this time. You and I are similar in this fact—everyone thought we were dead," Gaster stated with a final thought. Asriel shook his head, trying to deny the harsh fact.

"You understand, don't you? The idea of being forgotten, the mere thought of no one trying to remember you again. You know this feeling all too well, little princeling," Gaster whispered, his face inches away from Asriel's ear. Tears started flowing from Asriel's eyes, not because he was sad, but because someone finally revealed the truth in Asriel's heart. Asriel fell on the laboratory floor, his body hitting the floor with a dull thud. Gaster's laughter didn't bother him anymore. He looked up the tall figure above him, who stared deep within his soul.

"Now do you see? You were never part of their world. You're just like me. Forgotten. Dead," Gaster continued in his wicked whispers, "Nonexistent."

Asriel cried out in pain, agony, and sorrow. He didn't know what to say or do. He could only scream at this monster in front of him who truly understood him. He didn't want to be like Gaster. He was Asriel Dreemurr.

"Poor thing. If only I cared even an ounce about you," Gaster held onto Asriel's neck with a vicegrip. Asriel stopped screaming. His voice faded. He started choking. He tried to scratch at Gaster's hand, but nothing worked. He tried to struggle. Nothing worked.

"My little dreamer. I'd love to have you see the world in my perspective," Gaster stated, "You'll love it." Asriel's mouth was still open in a silent scream. He couldn't move. He was petrified. And in this moment, Gaster started laughing, thick, black liquid streaming from his own eyes and mouth, all of it heading straight for Asriel. Asriel tried to close his mouth shut before the liquid reached him.

Asriel watched the thick liquid flowing into his open mouth. He watched it all and heard it all. He counted every painful second of it. Even though Gaster was the last face he saw, he thought of everyone before the darkness swallowed everything up.

* * *

Frisk was the first to wake up. He felt warm for some reason and he found his hair in a mess, as if someone had tousled it while he was asleep. _Probably Asriel, I'm sure_. Frisk smiled and looked around for Asriel. Nowhere to be found. He heard a rustle in one of the rooms. He stood on the floor.

Frisk found out that everyone else had gone out for groceries, thanks to a sticky note from Mom. He walked quietly towards the kitchen. He thought he heard something here.

"Asriel?" Frisk asked aloud, his voice echoing in the strangely silent house. The kitchen was brightly-lit, and everything was just like yesterday—dishes that need to be washed from yesterday, the cluttered countertop, and the pots and pans on the stove. There wasn't anything quite different, and yet Frisk could feel something here.

"Asriel, if you're here, please say something," Frisk stated, slightly scared over what happened to his brother. Frisk didn't like this suddenly. He didn't like what was going on. He looked behind the fridge and in the shelves, but he still couldn't find Asriel. He heard a dull thud in the living room.

"Asriel!" Frisk dashed out of the kitchen, only to freeze in place of what he saw. He couldn't believe it. It wasn't possible. Not again.

"Ah. Brother. You're here," Asriel Dreemurr spoke in his deeper voice. It was Asriel. The Transformed Asriel. Asriel smirked at Frisk, baring his fangs. As he trudged over to Frisk, he shook his head.

"How much I've missed you, Frisk. I've always wondered when we'd meet again," Asriel spoke smoothly, his deep voice almost enticing. Frisk stared up at his brother. He was looking at him again. The horns, the robe similar to Toriel's, and the same heart locket he was wearing.

"Oh Frisk, you're such a cute little brother of mine," Asriel continued on with a wink, "Tragic that this is the end for you because I wasn't truly saved." Frisk felt his entire being shake and freeze at what Asriel said. He didn't believe it. After all he'd done, he just said that.

"A-Asriel? What do you mean? I-I saved you, Gerson did too! Why do you say this suddenly?" Frisk murmured, frightened at the figure before him. Asriel bent down to look at Frisk. He had a wolfish grin on his face.

"The others, Frisk. The way they treated Gaster—it's the same for me. I'm forgotten. Always. They don't even think of me as their own, do they?" Asriel's voice turned a shade deeper and darker. Frisk didn't understand where this was all coming from. Why was this happening?

"My other dreamer. What a pleasant sight," a cold voice whispered from behind Asriel. Frisk felt anger rising within him. With his hands balled into fists, he lunged for Gaster. He smashed himself against a hard, invisible barrier. His nose hurt immediately and he felt something warm running down his face.

"Frisk, I've told you to stop trying before, didn't I?" Asriel asked him with a sneer. This wasn't the Asriel Frisk wanted or even loved. He looked up at the monster before him. He didn't want to go through that battle again. Not again.

"Well then, my little dreamers. It seems as if I have the front row tickets to the battle of the century, don't I?" Gaster floated off to the couch, and Frisk didn't quite know what to do. A battle? Here?

"Say, Frisk. Aren't you going to attack me?" Asriel goaded Frisk. Frisk shook his head and smiled at him. He spread his hands open and showed them. Gaster froze for a moment. Asriel tilted his head in confusion.

"You're there, Asriel," Frisk spoke to him gently, "I can save you." Asriel's eyes widened, as if remembering something. Gaster sighed softly and lifted his hand towards Asriel. Asriel gave a sharp cry of pain and clutched at his head. His body started to flicker between his own and the transformed one.

"You stupid fools! Both of you are supposed to FIGHT, not SAVE!" Gaster shouted coldly, his eyes reflecting a malicious red deep within. Asriel recovered himself and rubbed his head a slowly. He had a grimace on his face.

"Are you ready, Frisk?" Asriel asked gently before he lifted his hands to cast his very own spells. Frisk hoped, bracing himself and hoped just like before with the same determination.

* * *

"i've got a bad feeling…" Sans murmured, nudging Toriel. She looked at him and nodded. The two of them dropped the books they were choosing and dashed quickly out of the library. Asgore and Papyrus were somewhere in the library sleeping with their books barely open. Neither of them loved to read.

"Sans dear, you don't think it's…" Toriel couldn't continue. Sans could only shrug. They quickened their pace and scrunched the snow beneath them, and they hoped that the children would be safe and sound.

* * *

Alphys sat in front of the giant computer, checking the latest updates on the Mew Mew Kissy Cutie series, but definitely not Mew Mew Kissy Cutie 2, since that was absolute garbage. As she scrolled through the screens mindlessly, she chanced upon the program for watching Frisk. She decided to take a little peek at it again. The moment she clicked it, she felt her fears returning. She felt the chill return. She stood up immediately and shouted for Undyne. She couldn't let them be there with _him_.

* * *

Huffing and puffing, Frisk was still dodging the ridiculous amount of stars Asriel started to shower upon Frisk. None of the attacks had managed to hit Frisk, but it was evident he wasn't going to keep it up. Gaster cackled at every moment of their fight, wishing to see the suffering and pain.

"Let's see how much that determination of yours will help you now, Frisk!" Asriel shouted as he swung his chaos sabers. With every blow, Frisk still managed to smile back at Asriel, as if he were perfectly fine with being beaten to death or even sliced to death. Asriel stopped for a second.

"Why? Why are you smiling at me?" Asriel asked, utterly confused at what was happening. Gaster simply watched from the distance. Frisk stood up and brushed the dirt off his pants.

"Because I love you, Asriel," Frisk said those words and Asriel shouted in fury, his eyes bright with rage. The stars came rushing down and the flames fell upon Frisk. Frisk shut his eyes and hoped once more. He couldn't move anymore. He only hoped that his one and only brother would live on happily.

The flames and stars never hit. Frisk slowly opened his eyes. Before him was a wall of flames and bones. He looked up and saw the two most favorite people of his life.

"hey kiddo, you okay?" Sans winked at Frisk and held a hand out for him. Frisk grasped the hand firmly and stood back up, nodding with a smile. Toriel was now battling her son.

"My children, I am so glad that both of you are unharmed! Especially you, Frisk!" Toriel looked back for a second to flash one of her smiles. "And you, Asriel, don't you look just like your father now!" Toriel's hands blazed with a blue fire. Asriel glared at her, holding the a saber in each hand. As the son slashed and lunged, the mother lightly dodged each strike, laughing at Asriel's attempts.

"Mother! You forgot all about me, haven't you?" Asriel growled, and Toriel shook her head sadly, still dodging all the blows from Asriel. Asriel shouted with fury.

"LIAR! YOU COULDN'T EVEN RECOGNIZE YOUR OWN SON WHEN HE WAS A FLOWER!" Asriel's eyes glowed a shade of scarlet. Toriel took a locket out of her pocket and opened it up for him to see. There were two pictures, one of Asriel and the other of Asgore. The locket and the pictures were both pretty old, the locket tarnished and the pictures worn and yellowed. Asriel stood in front of his mother. He recognized the pictures and the locket. It was the first and last thing Asriel had given her.

"I still have this," Toriel muttered as she looked at her son with eyes that welled with tears. "Who says I've forgotten about you? When has a mother forgotten about her son?" Toriel's words struck something within Asriel. Gaster was wrong all this time.

"You mean… Even though I died and lived as Flowey, no one ever forgot about me? No one hated me? I… I'm important?" Asriel shuddered as he replied his mother. He began to shift from his transformed self to his original self. He took a few steps towards Toriel. Toriel nodded slowly and smiled warmly. Asriel slumped into Toriel's arms and uttered a cry. He didn't know. He never realized.

"There now, my child. It was only a simple misunderstanding." Toriel stated sweetly, patting her son's back. Asriel glowed brightly and his transformed form dissolved with the light. He was back again. He lay still in his mother's warmth and comfort, asleep.

"now that's taken care of… it's about time we get rid of this one here, kiddo," Sans spoke up, bringing Frisk with him to face the previous Royal Scientist and uncle, Gaster.

"I'm impressed. But not quite. Because I will not fall that easily. You shan't," Gaster's cold voice didn't intimidate them. His black, hollow eyes reflected nothing and held nothing but sorrow and misery. Frisk thought he heard Gaster's face crack once more.

"you were never a great uncle," Sans stated, his eyes glowing a cyan blue. Frisk didn't quite know what to do. "stay back, kiddo. this isn't gonna be pretty." Frisk dashed off to where his mother was, sitting beside Asriel.

"Facing me alone, I see?" Gaster questioned with a cunning smile. "Great to see that my nephew has some guts." Sans lifted his hand. Gaster still sat there in the sofa with a smirk on his face.

"disgusting royal scientist," Sans muttered as he smashed Gaster against the ceiling. Gaster's body hit the ceiling with a loud crack. Sans moved his hand downward and the body fell back down on the ground like a ragdoll.

"monsters like you should be burning in hell," Sans stated, making sure Gaster heard him. Frisk looked at the sight in wonder. He didn't know Sans could even do such things. He marveled at his skeletal friend's feat just like Toriel was, mouth agape at the sight.

"Little Sans… Who do you taught you that?" Gaster lifted himself up, covered in dust and his face full of little cracks. His limbs were twisted at odd angles, but the smile was still pasted upon his face. Sans flinched and took a step back.

"It was I, was it not?" Gaster spoke, and his eyes flashed red. "Magnificent, but still lacking." Gaster threw his hand up. Sans flew up into mid-air. He struggled to move his arms.

"Think I'd let you do that again?" Gaster smirked at his nephew, his mask slowly falling apart. Frisk and Toriel looked on with horror, unable to do anything to help. This was a fight between them.

Sans started chuckling. Gaster looked at him curiously, perhaps slightly frightened by him. Sans's chuckles soon grew into laughter and he fell into hysterics. Sans's eyes shone a bright blue.

"you're gonna have a bad time, gaster," Sans stated with a wicked grin on his face. Still in the air, he summoned his weapons and bones. The Gasterblasters surrounded Gaster. Gaster looked at the machines around him with astonishment.

"You... You dare do this to me?!" Gaster's face no longer held the complacency and calmness he used to have. Panic and fright filled the very mask Gaster wore. Sans lifted his hand once more. Every Gasterblaster shot a white beam to Gaster. Light exploded in the room and Frisk only saw white light in that moment. He felt a hand drag him towards protection.

Toriel hoisted Asriel and tugged Frisk behind her, and she led them a little further away from the living room where the battle was taking place. Frisk looked up to her and she simply shook her head, her face frozen in a slight grimace.

"Do not be afraid, my child," Toriel whispered, "I, Toriel, your mother, am here for you both." Frisk nodded and fell into her embrace, rather tired and sleepy. He lay beside Asriel and continued hoping, just as he always did.

* * *

Gaster still stood in front of Sans, still standing still but he was just a charred mess of melted flesh and bones. His mask had disintegrated, his smile was no more. He had no means to say anything by then. He simply stood there, as a pile of ashes with a soul within that was ready to break anytime soon.

"well. i guess you never should have come here," Sans muttered, walking closer to what remained of his uncle. He summoned up a long, thick bone. Gaster tried to struggle. He tried to scream for help, but his screams were muffled and sounded guttural. He still called for help, but –

"nobody came," Sans declared in a low voice. He held up the bone and swung it down on Gaster's soul. The soul shattered into a tiny billion pieces.

* * *

Sans threw the bone on top of the pile of ashes and he fell back on a charred couch nearby. He looked around the house and thought of the number of jobs he needed to do to fix the house. He felt relieved for once. For the first time. His dreaded uncle was no more. Papyrus would be safe now too. Just as he was about to sink into a well-deserved break, he felt a pair of hands on his shoulders. He smiled as he closed his eyes slowly.

"Thank you, Sans," Toriel murmured from behind Sans. She looked down at the skeleton with a smile. Sans nodded with a weak smile, having used a bit too much of his own energy. His eyes were still closed. Toriel leaned in quickly, giving him a light kiss on the forehead. Sans's eyes snapped open and his cheeks flushed a pale blue in color. He looked at Toriel sheepishly.

"Silly bonehead," Toriel muttered and walked to where Frisk and Asriel lay sleeping. Sans looked at her go and tried to calm down. And soon enough, he fell asleep with a small smile on his face, perhaps having a happy dream for the first time in his life.

* * *

Well that was it! It was somewhat short, I truly apologize. Seriously. I've been working on some stuff and I promise to write more next chapter. Thank you for reading it and feel free to leave a review!


	12. Chapter 11 - Truth Be Told

Hello from the OTHER SIDE

I mean, Happy (Late) Christmas!

Sorry (I'm really sorry seriously) hello I'm back with another chapter! This chapter, um... If you really don't like it... I'm sorry... ._. But anyways!

Asriel: Well uh...

Frisk: ...

Sans: Papyrus?

Papyrus: Hold on-

Undyne: All my lines have NGAHH?

I hope you enjoy this chapter (or even Idk tell me about it if you don't like it?)

* * *

 **Chapter 11 - Truth Be Told**

 _Scurrying across the palace garden, Alphys hurried to the flowers in the middle of the garden. Darkness had settled in and the flowers had all closed up for the night. Alphys constantly looked back, as if afraid of something or avoiding someone._

 _"Where is it?" Alphys whispered, slightly irritated, "That flower… Where on earth could it possibly be?" She searched every square of the garden, but she couldn't seem to find a particular flower._

 _"And it was the perfect opportunity today…" Alphys muttered and started walking out of the garden. As she was making her way out, she tripped on something. She stood up quickly, dusting her lab coat. A grin slowly spread on her face as she finally found it._

 _"The first flower," Alphys breathed, crouching over the flower that seemed to glow in the dark. This one looked particularly different with a brighter shade of yellow for the petals. Alphys quickly dug it out and placed it in a bag. She heard a rustle somewhere. There was no time for her to hide her tracks. She had to leave._

 _Alphys vanished into the darkness, hoping that it was just the wind that rustled. In a little shrubbery somewhere in the garden, Undyne had watched it all._

* * *

Asriel rose slowly from the bed, his limbs and head aching. He sat up and opened his eyes. _What on earth…?_ Asriel thought, trying to adjust to the pain and the dizziness that came with it. His throat was parched and he couldn't speak a word.

 _Why did I even dream about that? Alphys and the flower?_ Asriel pressed a hand against his head. He started remembering things from the day before. His encounter with Gaster, his transformation, and the fight he had. He sat up straight suddenly.

 _Frisk! What have I done to Frisk?!_ Asriel thought hurriedly. He got up and slid off the bed slowly. He trudged out of the room. He was still at the other house Sans and Papyrus had in the forests, thankfully.

"Asriel! You're awake!" Frisk shouted with absolute joy, hurtling towards Asriel. The floor greeted Asriel as he fell with a loud thud. Frisk held onto him tightly and Asriel couldn't really do anything. Toriel sat beside them with a light chuckle.

"Frisk was worried about you. Maybe a bit too much." Toriel stated as she pulled her children back up on the ground. Frisk still held Asriel in a vice grip, as if afraid of letting go of him ever again.

"I-I thought I would l-lose you…" Frisk croaked out, his face buried in Asriel's shoulder. Asriel wrapped his arms around his brother with a sheepish grin on his face. Toriel simply watched her children in bliss. What little peace they had was soon interrupted by the door of the house slamming open.

"WHERE IS HE?!" A familiar voice screamed shrilly. Amidst the dust clouds that formed from the door being slammed open, a petite figure emerged. Alphys had finally arrived. She hurried into the house with a large stick in hand. Toriel, Asriel, and Frisk simply stared at her.

"Who do you mean, Alphys dear?" Toriel smiled at her, disregarding the smashed door entirely. Asriel worried slightly over his mother. Frisk too seemed to simply stare at the door Alphys broke.

"G-G-G-Gaster! W. D. Gaster!" Alphys shouted, her eyes shut in fear of the late Gaster's presence. She gripped on the stick harder. Toriel could only laugh.

"He won't be bothering us any further, dear," Toriel stated as she stood up. She glanced over to where Sans lay asleep on the couch. Alphys dropped her stick. She had blanked out suddenly. As Toriel walked over to where Sans was, Asriel and Frisk sat there watching Alphys frozen still as a statue.

"Will she be okay?" Asriel asked Frisk, tugging at Alphys's lab coat. On her face was a strange expression that held both happiness and fright. Asriel didn't quite know what to make of it.

"Yeah I guess so," Frisk answered back, poking Alphys with the stick she had dropped. Not even the smallest movement went through her. Just as they were about to leave Alphys there, someone dashed right through the open doorway and started shouting.

"NGAHHH! GASTER! COME FIGHT ME!" Undyne's raucous voice echoed in the house. Frisk placed a hand on his head in exasperation. Asriel tried his best to keep a pleasant smile on his face. _Will everyone in the entire Underground come to fight Gaster now?_ Asriel thought.

"U-Undyne! Gaster is… dead, so you can relax a bit, okay?" Asriel told her with a nervous laughter. Undyne tilted her head slightly, evidently puzzled.

"What do you mean? A-Alphys saw it on her computer. Even Papyrus told me," Undyne uttered, her eyebrows creasing in irritation. Asriel explained what had happened almost moments before they arrived. Undyne's eyes widened. She glanced at Alphys. She too stood there beside her, surprised and slightly miffed that she didn't quite get to do any of the fighting. Something, however, didn't quite fit. Frisk nudged Asriel softly.

"Where's Papyrus?" Frisk asked. That was the only question neither of them knew the answer to. Asriel wondered about where his friend was. He hoped that Papyrus wasn't affected by Gaster or anything.

* * *

Somewhere in the Hotlands, Gaster once had a laboratory. He carried out all sorts of grotesque experiments and laughed at the suffering of all living creatures within the confines of his laboratory. It wasn't quite far from where Alphys's laboratory was. Dark and dingy was the laboratory now, machinery dysfunctional and broken, documents littered everywhere, glass shattered here and there, and the stench of decay hung in the air. For a few decades, this part of the Under lay silent, ever since Gaster lay scattered through various timelines and alternate universes.

"Well, it certainly isn't the most cheerful place in the world, is it?" Papyrus uttered as he carefully trudged through the abandoned lab. He silently praised himself for bringing a flashlight with him. He disliked visiting here again. After all those years of torment.

"But I've got to find that thing, don't I, Sans?" Papyrus murmured as he stopped suddenly in front of a wall. He shone the light in front of him. His face turned rigid and lost the cheerfulness moments ago. Before him lay thousands of jars upon jars of dead monsters who were used as test subjects. He felt himself shiver and he tried to shake off the uneasy vibe he was getting. He couldn't help but think that all of them stared down at him, their dead, blank eyes all looking at him. He took a deep breath. Just as he thought he was calm, he heard glass shattering in the distance.

"Oh my," Papyrus whispered before he clicked off the flashlight, slightly afraid of what was to come. There were some things the magnificent Papyrus couldn't do.

* * *

"papyrus?" Sans suddenly spoke up, waking up at the same time. Sans always knew whenever something went wrong with his brother. It wasn't daytime anymore. Sans could see that for sure. The living room was dark because he was sleeping in there. He knew Toriel made it so. Toriel did so much for him, but he didn't know what he could do for her in return. He sat up on the couch, trying to cope with the mild skullache he was having from just waking up from a deep sleep. He did feel less tired, but he felt the pain in his eye socket.

"Awake already, my silly bonehead?" Toriel asked tenderly, standing up from the chair she was sitting in. Toriel flipped the lights on. She was as kind as always, the smile never quite fading from her face. Sans couldn't help but stare at her.

"Is something wrong, Sans? Is there something on my face?" Toriel asked, genuinely puzzled. Sans quickly averted his eyes and looked elsewhere. His cheeks started to take on a slightly blue tinge. Toriel chuckled, noticing this miniscule change. She walked over and held the skeleton in a tight embrace.

"You were brave out there, my little bonehead," Toriel murmured, "I was very worried about you." Sans couldn't help his cheeks turning an even deeper shade of blue at that. He didn't understand why he felt this way around Toriel.

"i-it was n-nothing," Sans muttered, trying to put on a calm façade. Toriel released him and looked at him. She gave him a kiss on the cheek. Sans flinched and looked at her with wide eyes.

"Sans, your cheeks!" Toriel declared, laughing at the skeleton with blue cheeks. Sans looked down at his hands, trying to hide his embarrassment. He did like the kiss though. He wished he could stay in this moment, just like this, in the warmth and care of Toriel.

"TORIEL!" A deep voice echoed outside of the house. Sans and Toriel quickly stood up and headed to the window. They found Asgore wandering around the forest, just a few feet away from them. Toriel hurried over to the door and opened it quickly.

"Asgore! Over here!" Toriel yelled, waving at him. Sans took a deep breath. _she's got asgore after all._ He thought to himself. He smiled and walked upstairs, to where his friends were. _friends. that's what toriel and i are._

"Tori!" Asgore exclaimed as he held his beloved in a bear hug. "I didn't see you for the entire day and I was starting to get worried. After you and Sans left, Papyrus left not long after." Toriel felt slightly guilty for leaving her husband alone.

"I didn't mean to leave you all by yourself, Gorey… But something happened today, Gorey." Toriel replied, gripping his shoulders. She looked at her husband's curious face. His bright green eyes never managed to lose their childish flare.

"Gaster was back," Toriel stated gravely. Asgore's face froze. "He was aiming for our children, Gorey." Asgore's lips turned into a frown. He felt rage stir his heart. He was about to summon his weapon, but Toriel's hand stopped him.

"If it wasn't for Sans, Gaster would have taken us all," Toriel uttered, and Asgore felt a sense of peace return. He looked for Sans, wanting to thank him and say something.

"Where is he?" Asgore asked, and Toriel looked back about to say that he would be right there. Sans wasn't there. Toriel's hand froze in mid-air.

"He was right here," Toriel spoke, "I guess he's upstairs with the kids." Toriel held Asgore's hand and led him upstairs. One room was brightly lit, looking at the light that flooded from the gap between the door and the floor. Asgore opened the door.

"NGAHHHH! WHY DO I ALWAYS HAVE TO PAY MONEY?!" Undyne shouted as she slammed the game piece down on the board, denting the board itself. Alphys sat in the corner, her laptop open on her lap. She was deeply engrossed in something. Sans lay on the ground lazily, with a stack of rectangular papers beside him. Asriel and Frisk high-fived each other, proud of managing to buy off almost every square on the board. They were playing Underpoly, a game that might be popular in the Overworld with a different name. As Toriel and Asgore were watching this unfold, Frisk and Asriel noticed them standing at the doorway. Their faces lit up into bright smiles.

"Mom! Dad!" Asriel and Frisk both shouted as they flung their fake paper money away and dashed for their parents. They held onto each other tightly. Undyne and Sans watched them, commenting on how adorable they looked. Alphys seemed to be sneaking pictures of the Dreemurr family and posting them on UnderNet.

After a good ten minutes of explaining, Asgore, Alphys, and Undyne understood what had happened. Gaster came, fought Sans, and died. Asriel painfully remembered what had happened during that time. He shuddered and felt Frisk's hand on his back, reassuring him.

"S-So that's what happened…" Alphys murmured while tapping the screen of her phone. She seemed to be recording a journal. Undyne, on the other hand, looked confused.

"Wait. Where's Papyrus?" Undyne asked. Everyone went silent suddenly. No one really knew what had happened to their friend. Sans paled and tried to think of where his brother could have gone.

"He told me this morning he would find Gaster," Asgore mentioned, "And then he ran off towards Hotlands." Sans felt his heart drop and his mind numb. He looked at Alphys. Alphys had taken her eyes off of the phone in her hand.

"I-Is something the matter? Alphys? Sans?" Asriel asked them, understanding it to be a bad sign. Toriel reached over to Sans and held him. Undyne placed a hand on Alphys's shoulder.

"H-He's going to _that_ place," Alphys whispered, her eyes out of focus. Frisk hadn't seen her so shaken up before. He knew something bad was going to happen.

"gaster's lab," Sans stated coldly, his eyes glowing a dull cyan. Everyone had a look of fear in their eyes. Frisk looked at Asriel. Asriel knew where this was. He had been there thanks to Gaster. He shook his head at Frisk.

* * *

"Boy, is it just me or is it chilly in here?" Papyrus muttered, trying to adjust to the darkness. Papyrus walked through the aisles of jars, each jar filled with an individual monster. He tried his best not to look at them. He imagined that the monsters could somehow come to life again and escape from the jars. He shuddered at the mere thought of it. Papyrus didn't like any of this, but he knew he simply had to do this. For both his and his brother's sake.

"How brave of you to come here all by yourself," A voice echoed throughout the dark lab. The voice was high-pitched and icy, almost sounding like a girl's. Papyrus stopped and looked around. There wasn't anyone around.

"Sh-Sh-Show yourself before the Almighty Papyrus!" Papyrus stammered out, his entire body rattling, as if he were actually being shaken by some invisible force. The girl started laughing, almost like Toriel laughing at Sans's bad jokes.

"So much for being almighty and strong, Mister Papyrus," The voice laughed out, and she couldn't help but continue doing so. Papyrus stood there, dumbfounded. He still didn't know who or what this thing that laughed at him was.

"Okay that's enough laughing, whoever you are. You're being rude," Papyrus reprimanded the girl's voice, whatever it was. She stopped laughing and the air grew colder. Papyrus slightly regretted what he just said. Something white started to materialize in front of him.

"Wait a second-" Papyrus never got to finish what he said. With a flash of blinding light, the lab was illuminated for a brief second. Darkness fell once again, with Papyrus nowhere to be seen.

* * *

"NGAHH! WHY HOTLANDS OF ALL PLACES?!" Undyne screamed in irritation, carrying a huge bottle of water with her. They were making their way to where Gaster's lab was. Snowdin was long behind them, and they had just passed by Waterfall.

"Shame that the River Person isn't here anymore to transport all of us," Toriel said, not knowing that the River Person would never truly come back. Asriel was with Frisk, walking together and listening to every single Echo Flower they encountered. The passing conversations sometimes made them laugh or even cry.

"I remember this artifact I managed to get from playing the piano…" Frisk told Asriel as they walked, "A dog took the artifact in the end, it was a total waste of time." Asriel found the story to be pretty funny for some reason. He had a good picture as to what sort of dog it was. Perhaps white and rather annoying.

"Hey look! There's an Echo Flower!" Frisk pointed at a nearby flower which glowed bluish green. Echo flowers were actually pretty, but what they said didn't always reflect their beauty. Asriel cautiously approached it and listened to it. Frisk did the same.

 _"Someday, I'd like to climb this mountain we're all buried under…"_ The flower echoed repeatedly. Asriel looked at the flower with curiosity. Frisk could only stare at the water that flowed beside the flower.

"Frisk?" Asriel asked him, wondering if something bothered Frisk. Frisk sat down suddenly, looking over at the dark waters that stretched before him. The echo flower was still echoing those same words. Asriel knelt beside Frisk, putting a hand on his shoulder.

"Climbing this mountain…" Frisk muttered, "That's what I did, right…?" Frisk looked up at Asriel with a weak smile. Asriel nodded at him.

"Why did you climb this mountain, Frisk?" Asriel asked him. "Only you would know it, right?" Asriel smiled at him. Frisk sniffled a little. Asriel leaned towards him and pressed his forehead against Frisk's.

"Whatever it was out of, it wasn't a bad decision," Asriel whispered, "Look at everything you've done now from that." Asriel lifted his face and looked at Frisk, who was crying now. Asriel rubbed the tears off of Frisk's face.

"Y-You really think so?" Frisk stuttered out, looking solely at Asriel. For Frisk, nothing ever mattered but his family, friends, and Asriel. Without them, he never knew if he could even live.

"Yeah. You're a human. You used to have a life up there in the Overworld," Asriel continued on, "And yet, you chose to stay with us, the monsters. And from that, you gained family and friends. From climbing that mountain." Frisk looked into Asriel's clear blue eyes. It always reminded him of the skies in the Overworld. He took a deep breath and made a decision to tell Asriel a truth.

"I… I didn't have a life back in the Overworld," Frisk murmured, "I was an orphan. I had no one with me. One day I found myself running. Running into the forests and somehow ending up on this mountain." Frisk stopped talking and simply smiled at Asriel.

"I'm glad you found the life you wanted, Frisk," Asriel stated, "And thank you for finding me as well." Frisk lifted his hands to hold Asriel's shoulders. Asriel wondered what Frisk was thinking. He hoped he didn't say anything weird. He blinked for a moment and felt Frisk closer to his face.

"F-Frisk?" Asriel stammered out, surprised at what was happening. He didn't expect Frisk to be kissing him. He felt Frisk's lips pressed against his, warm and soft. Frisk pulled away from Asriel, his cheeks flushed scarlet. Asriel felt his cheeks warm up as well, knowing that they were about as red as a tomato.

"S-Sorry… Y-You didn't like that, right…?" Frisk murmured, unable to look at Asriel for the moment. Asriel took Frisk's hand in his own. Frisk turned his eyes to Asriel, wondering what he'd say. Asriel grinned at him.

"It's alright, as long as it's you," Asriel replied, his smile still as pleasant as ever. "B-Because we love each other, don't we?" Asriel felt the heat rise up in his cheeks again. Frisk's face slowly changed into a joyous smile.

"Y-Yeah!" Frisk answered happily, and he stood up, holding out his hand for Asriel to grab onto. "Thanks Asriel. For being here for me." Asriel took his hand and pulled himself up.

"And thank you, Frisk. For everything you've done for me," Asriel replied, placing a light peck on Frisk's cheek. He laughed as he saw Frisk's face turn a brighter shade of red. Frisk tried his best to not look at Asriel

"Isn't that adorable, Gorey?" Toriel asked, walking alongside Asgore, hand-in-hand. They watched their children sweetly, as if it somehow reminded them of their own lives. Asgore coughed a little.

"Sure is, Tori. They really looked adorable," Asgore replied with a grin. "You know Tori…" Asgore faltered slightly, but he still held the smile on his face. Toriel looked at him with the same smile she always gave him through the years.

"Yes, dear?" Toriel asked, still holding onto Asgore's hand and looking at children. Asgore cleared his throat.

"I… I'm so glad our little Asriel can feel again. After all those years as a flower…" Asgore paused, sniffling slightly. "And now there's little Frisk to help him feel more of what he never could." Tears slid down Asgore's face and Toriel gripped Asgore's hand.

"Yes dear, it definitely is great to see this happening again," Toriel whispered as she rested her head on Asgore's shoulder. For now, this was all that mattered. Their family coming back together once again.

* * *

Ehehey! I.. Uh.. Hope you liked it! If possible. At least. I'll try to update as soon as possible. Feel free to leave a review or something (especially this chapter please I don't know if everyone would like it). Thanks!


	13. Chapter 12 - Human and Monster Souls

Hey guys! I can't believe 2015 is over already?! And I'm not prepared for this?! Sigh... Oh well. This will be my last fanfiction chapter of 2015. Wow. I never thought it would be like this. I didn't even think so many people would read this. I'm so thankful for my readers and reviewers, you guys are the best. I really love writing this fanfiction, and I hope I can come up with more chapters constantly. Thank you so much for reading and visiting this fanfiction, it means a lot to me. :)

Gaster: You know, I'm not that bad of a-

Sans: u wot m8 ill wrek ya m8

Papyrus: I, the Most Fabulous and Greatest Papyrus, will-

Undyne: never eat spaghetti for the rest of my life.

Papyrus: U WOT M8

Asriel: Hey it's a new year?

Frisk: Do we even get older?

Toriel: Oh Children, of course you will. Just like your dad and I!

Asgore: And when you do get old like us... You get to do things like-

Toriel: ASGORE NO

Alphys: *Standing in the corner taking pictures and videos of everything*

I hope you enjoy this chapter!

* * *

 **Chapter 12 – Human and Monster Souls**

Asriel sometimes wondered if his dad had come up with the name Hotlands. He once thought of asking that, but he guessed that his dad truly did that. He didn't like the hot air blasting in his face as he walked through the place. His fur was damp and he felt his shirt sticky on his back. He didn't quite like the feeling.

"Really is hot here, isn't it?" Toriel declared, as she rolled up her sleeves. Asgore had taken off his cape, and he seemed almost ready to burst out of his armor. Behind them, Undyne was groaning with each step, pouring water over herself every few minutes. Alphys was beside her, carrying some of her armor. Sans and Frisk were walking together, and Sans seemed to be placing hot dogs on Frisk's head, who was trying to balance them as he trudged.

"Alphys, how much more do we have until we reach your lab?" Undyne whined, and she did look exhausted from the journey. Alphys didn't say anything and continued walking. Asriel noticed this. Alphys not having anything to say was definitely weird. He glanced at Frisk, who was laughing with Sans at the fallen hot dogs. Somehow Sans was able to procure hot dogs endlessly, almost like magic. They came to a stop very soon, standing in front of a gigantic white building. Undyne gave a groan of relief and slumped against the side of the building. Although it was supposed to be hot, the area near the lab seemed to be getting cooler. Alphys walked up to the building and quickly unlocked the doors using a card key. She then entered, the doors sliding open automatically. Everyone followed her in.

"U-Uh I haven't cleaned this place up, so it's a bit of a mess…" Alphys muttered, "But please make yourselves at home." Alphys then trotted off to her computer and sat in front of it, clicking and tapping away. The rest of them took over the couch nearby and discussed what to do next.

"So all we gotta do now is get Papyrus, right?" Undyne asked, and for once she had the right idea. Asgore and Toriel nodded, but Sans didn't seem to say anything about it. Asriel held a book in his hands while Frisk looked through a few posters of Mew Mew Kissy Cutie, which didn't look cute or kissy.

"But where exactly is Gaster's lab?" Toriel asked, glancing at Alphys and Sans. Alphys was too busy doing something on the computer and Sans had his head down, as if he were asleep. Maybe he was asleep.

"E-Everyone! Come over here for a second!" Alphys shouted. On her computer screen was a huge picture. Undyne dashed off to her first.

"Isn't this a map of Hotlands?" Undyne asked and Alphys nodded. Asriel and Frisk squeezed in between Toriel and Asgore to take a good look at it. For some reason, Sans wasn't there to look at it. No one noticed it.

"So this is where we are, and this is where the Core is," Alphys stated, pointing to two different points respectively. She then circled a point in between them. "Here, at Left Floor One, this point right here is where Gaster's Lab lies." Asriel didn't really have a clue as to where this was. Frisk, however, widened his eyes and stared at it.

"Isn't this… Where Sans's Hot Dog Stand is at?" Frisk asked, and suddenly everyone fell silent. Alphys seemed unable to answer that, her face holding a slightly uncomfortable look. Sans trudged up and placed a hand on Frisk's shoulder. He sighed softly.

"smart kiddo," Sans said in a low voice, "always had it in you." He patted Frisk's head and smiled. His eyes glowed an eerie blue. Toriel was definitely concerned about what Sans was about to say. Asriel could see that.

"that hot dog stand is to hide the entrance to gaster's lab," Sans announced, "papyrus knew of that entrance, and he most probably used it to get there. we're not the only ones to know this, alphys does too."

"Sans, is it safe to talk about that?" Alphys asked suddenly, and Sans paused for a moment. He gave a slow nod and Alphys sighed in relief. _Is it related to the memory I saw of Alphys?_ Asriel thought to himself.

"before we go, there's something everyone needs to know. it started off when gaster became the royal scientist…" And Sans started his narrative.

"gaster was a merciless monster. he had no compassion, no emotions, no empathy. he might as well be soulless. when papyrus and i were growing up, it was he who was supposed to take care of us as our uncle. that never happened. he only cared for himself and he never had time for anyone else. probably was a blessing that he didn't raise us, y'know?

but that's beside the point. when he was royal scientist, alphys and I worked under him, helping him carry out experiments and analyzing the data. he was exceptionally brilliant, and together, all of us invented a device that allowed us to jump from timeline to timeline—a time machine. but to get to such a point, we had to resort to countless experimentations on non-living things, and soon… other monsters."

Sans faltered and he couldn't seem to continue the story. Alphys, noticing this, decided to speak up.

"Every experiment Gaster performed on monsters was a failure. The bodies of the monsters simply couldn't handle the force from time-travelling and they died almost as soon as they returned. Gaster was furious at this. He, who was celebrated as genius, couldn't solve a problem like this. He devoted his life to this because he wanted to achieve something no monster could—cheating death. With this, he could avoid being killed and never die. Well, he hoped for such a thing. Thankfully it never happened. And in case it did happen, we too made a few precautions, such as the Gasterblaster.

One day Gaster decided to use the machine himself. He tried to test the machine out by himself. Even with all those errors and failures. He was too arrogant, confident in his abilities. That was when he fell through the timelines. He vanished, only to be scattered through infinitely many alternate universes."

With that, Alphys finished what was to be said of Gaster. Dumbstruck, Toriel and Asgore could only stare at the Alphys. Frisk looked at Asriel and gave a slightly pained smile. Asriel wondered why.

"Y-You mean… Gaster never worked on… That?" Asgore asked Alphys, his eyes widened. Toriel pressed a hand on Asgore's arm, trying to comfort him. Alphys shook her head.

"Gaster did work on the Determination Project too. I continued that and…" Alphys faltered, but she gritted her teeth and continued, "That was how I created Flowey." Asriel froze. Only then did he realize what that memory meant. Alphys was the one who allowed him to live as Flowey. He stared at Alphys. She didn't look happy after all.

"And here we thought he would be helpful…" Toriel murmured, and she could only look down at the ground beneath her, not knowing what to truly believe. Sans trudged up to her and placed a hand on her back.

"And now we reveal the truth, huh?" Undyne asked irritatedly, "Why did none of you speak a word of this any earlier?" Undyne looked angrily at Alphys and Sans.

"we didn't know if anyone should know about it," Sans replied, and Alphys seemed to understand. "but we're not the only ones who know about it." Undyne's glared at Sans.

"Papyrus knows this too," Alphys declared, "And he went there to destroy Gaster's Lab, once and for all." Asriel thought this was a great idea. But why did Sans and Alphys look so devastated?

* * *

"So you're Suzy?" Papyrus asked, shining the flashlight on the ghost in front of him. He thought he had seen another ghost that looked quite similar to her, but he couldn't quite remember. The ghost was nondescript, nothing really striking or particular, just the high-pitched voice.

"Yeah, that's right! I'm Suzy, the neighbor everyone should meet!" She shouted, her ghostly smile illuminating the space around her. Papyrus couldn't sense anything hostile about her.

"Well, alright, Suzy. It was nice meeting you," Papyrus replied, "but I simply must go now. Goodbye." Papyrus walked off, waving at her as he walked away. He heard Suzy laughing ominously, almost too low for a girl's voice. He turned and shone the light on the ghost. She wasn't white in color anymore.

"Who said you could leave me?" Her voice was no longer there. A familiar, cold voice took its place instead. Papyrus's eyes glowed bright orange and he swiftly swung his hand down, bringing down a column of fire upon the ghostly figure.

"Gaster, I knew I'd find you here," Papyrus spoke in a low voice. Orange pupils illuminated his eye sockets in the dark. He looked at the ghost in front of him now. It wasn't Suzy anymore. It was Gaster. It started chuckling slowly.

"My little nephew! How long has it truly been?" Gaster announced loudly, his joy and laughter a complete farce. Papyrus did not speak. He stood there and he slowly lifted his hand out. Gaster was still laughing.

"Both of you have grown up so much, I almost couldn't recognize Sans!" Gaster declared with mirth, "But you! You my child. You are so much stronger-"

"Silence!" Papyrus shouted, shooting another wave of flames at the ghost in front of him. For some reason, his magic attacks weren't doing much. Gaster snickered and apparated right in Papyrus's face.

"Wondering why I'm impervious to your attacks?" Gaster asked slyly, his smile sliced in the ghostly countenance. Papyrus flinched and took a step back. He tried to summon up more of his fire, but Gaster somehow had nullified his powers.

"I'm not any kind of monster, my little nephew," Gaster whispered, "I am also human."

* * *

Left Floor One never did quite look like this before. No one was there, and Sans's hot dog stand was razed to the ground, the only remnants of it being black soot. Sans knelt down to touch the ashes.

"papyrus was here," Sans stated. He cleared away the ashes to reveal a trapdoor. Everyone else gathered around it. Asgore heaved it open. The stench of decay rushed over them and dust flew out of the hole, as if it never met fresh air before. Asriel's eyes watered and he looked away. Frisk did the same. Alphys and Sans looked into the hole with mixed emotions of anticipation and curiosity.

"well we're back, aren't we?" Sans asked softly. Alphys only nodded. With that, Sans jumped into the hole first. Toriel dashed for him, but he simply dropped like a stone. Alphys smiled at Toriel.

"Don't worry, there's nothing harmless down there," Alphys said, "As you fall, you will decelerate due to a mechanism in this hole. So you'd basically have the safest landing ever." Alphys too jumped into the hole and vanished into the inky darkness.

"I guess… We have to believe in them," Undyne muttered and jumped. Afraid, she held Asgore's hand. Asriel grabbed Frisk's hand and walked up to the hole.

"We can both jump at once, right?" Frisk asked, tightening his grip on Asriel's hand. He grinned at Frisk. The two of them jumped together, into the rabbit hole that led to Gaster's Wonderland.

* * *

"So this is his lab?" Undyne asked, "Definitely needs to do some redecoration." She kicked a large plastic bucket away. It made a dull thud that echoed in the large space. In the damp darkness, Toriel and Asgore summoned up a few flames to guide them.

"What a miserably wretched place…" Toriel muttered, trying not to step on mounds of dust that told of all the atrocious things that happened here. The very air they breathed reeked of death. Frisk latched onto Asriel's hand, obviously afraid of what was to come. Holding hands, the two of them trudged on with Sans.

"bucko, kiddo. there's something both of you need to know," Sans stated softly, so that no one else could hear. Asriel and Frisk looked at Sans curiously.

"when i… killed gaster back at the house, he wasn't really dead," Sans continued on in a low voice, "he has two phases to his soul. the physical and the metaphysical." Neither of them really understood what he meant. Sans smiled at them weakly with his glowing cyan eyes.

"he has to die twice if we really want to get rid of him," Sans admitted, his face frozen with anger. _Twice? Why twice?_ Asriel thought, but he knew better than to ask him. Now was not the time.

"Is Papyrus… Looking for Gaster?" Frisk asked, and Sans nodded. Asriel finally understood the gravity of the whole situation. He wondered if Papyrus could even fight.

"my brother… he's much stronger than me," Sans declared, "that makes him the coolest, but i'm still worried about him." He no longer had the calm look on his face. Asriel reached for Sans's shoulder.

"We won't let him die, Sans," Asriel vowed firmly, "I know we'll find him." Sans looked hopefully at the smiling children beside him. He couldn't help but grin back at them. The dark lab no longer seemed as scary as before.

* * *

"You're disgusting," Papyrus uttered before he threw a frenzy of bones and magical fire at Gaster. Papyrus had been attacking him countlessly, each attack scorching the very grounds of the lab and everything around them. Yet, Gaster was laughing like a maniac, as if he relished the pain.

"You have grown a lot, my nephew, I am proud of that," Gaster hissed out, and his ghostly form shimmered in and out of existence. Papyrus noticed something strange about that. Gaster snickered softly.

"Ah, you must be wondering why my body is reduced to such a state," Gaster spoke coldly, "Your brother has slain my physical form, but I still have this one form that I can use to become God of this very realm." Papyrus glared at him.

"You monster. I still won't forget what you did to us," Papyrus replied in a low voice. Gaster could only flash his unnaturally wide smile. Papyrus was magically setting up bones around the area, hoping Gaster wouldn't notice whatever it was he was doing.

"Sacrifices need to be made for some things, my beloved nephew," Gaster whispered as he vanished out of existence, "But that's also how you've grown up to be like this." Gaster stood before Papyrus, his face and his body not quite corporeal. He struck out his hand, reaching right into Papyrus. Papyrus froze. He felt something cold reach around his very soul.

"Now. If you would please," Gaster leaned closer to Papyrus's face and hissed, "Die for me." His fingers slowly closed around Papyrus's soul. Papyrus couldn't move. He couldn't die yet. He had a life to live on.

"WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?!" A raucous voice rang out in the middle of all this. Gaster perked up and looked around, loosening his grasp on Papyrus. Glowing spears suddenly shot out from the ground, breaking just about everything in the lab. Papyrus felt himself being hoisted off and carried off, away from Gaster and the field of spears.

"U-Undyne is here?" Papyrus couldn't believe his eyes. Those were Undyne's spears. He looked at who was carrying him. The familiar blond and white fur…

"I'm sure this is the wrong time, but I think you need a cup of tea," Asgore spoke gruffly and grinned at the skeleton in his arms. Papyrus felt tears welling up in his eye sockets. Asgore placed him on the ground, where Toriel, Frisk, Sans, Alphys, and Asriel were. Papyrus couldn't believe who he was seeing.

"S-Sans?" Papyrus asked, bewildered still as to why everyone was here. Sans's eyes glowed a normal white again, and he made his way to his brother. Papyrus saw the tears on Sans's face.

"i-idiot," Sans muttered, and he just wanted to punch his older brother in the face. Papyrus smiled and closed his eyes, relieved that everyone came to save him. Toriel smiled at the two and tugged at Asgore's arm. Asgore nodded and the two of them dashed off to where Undyne was fighting Gaster. Alphys seemed to hesitate, wondering what she should do. Frisk walked up to her.

"E-E-Eh?! Frisk?" Alphys stammered out, evidently scared of what was going on. Frisk pulled at her lab coat and dragged her over to see the fight. Gaster was avoiding each magical attack almost perfectly. Toriel and Asgore's fire attacks seemed to barely graze him, and Undyne's spears were flying everywhere. Even from a safe distance, they could hear Gaster laughing out loud. Alphys balled her fist and seemed almost ready to jump in there to fight together. Frisk looked at her expectantly.

"I should go there, right?" Alphys asked, and Frisk nodded. "To fight the past I always hated, right?" Frisk nodded enthusiastically. Alphys took a deep breath and laughed slightly. She shed her lab coat, revealing the tank top and shorts she was wearing underneath. Frisk looked at her, astonished.

"Oh, I never mentioned, did I? I was also part of the Royal Guards with Undyne, just a few ranks beneath her," Alphys winked and ran off to fight Gaster as well. Frisk felt a hand on his shoulder. Asriel was behind him, also watching what was going on.

"We… We should be helping too," Papyrus groaned out as he stood up slowly. Sans looked at his brother with teary eyes. He pulled at his hand, not wanting to go. Not wanting to lose his brother again. Papyrus grinned at his younger brother.

"We are not weak like before, brother," Papyrus murmured softly, placing a hand on his brother's skull. Orange light gleamed once more from Papyrus's eye sockets, and he grinned at Sans. Sans couldn't help but smile at that and he wiped the tears away. He held tightly to Papyrus's hand and walked together, to face Gaster once more.

"he's gonna burn in hell," Sans uttered with a sadistic smile. Papyrus held the same smile as well and nodded grimly. As they stood beside the others, the two of them sneered at the ghostly scientist. Gaster's smile cut through even higher up his hideous mask, and he rushed forward to meet his nephews at once.

"I'm so glad my subjects have turned out to have such great results," Gaster declared triumphantly. Sans lifted a hand. Gaster crashed upward into the ceiling. Toriel and Asgore blasted the scientist with fire, Alphys shooting bolts of electricity, and Undyne stabbed the scientist repeatedly like an absolute maniac. Papyrus let loose a column of flames to scorch Gaster. Everything was silent when the attacks stopped after a full minute. Asriel and Frisk watched with anticipation.

A mangled mess of black dropped with a dull thud on the ground, and all was quiet. The burned mess didn't move an inch. He definitely should have died. There was no way he could have lived. Suddenly, the black mess started splitting apart and falling away. The remains crumbled away, leaving behind a single soul. Everyone looked at it in shock. It wasn't just any sort of soul.

"alphys, i-is that-" Sans spoke up quickly, and he seemed terrified. Papyrus seemed to notice its strange appearance too. Toriel and Asgore stood there in shock. Undyne could only stare at whatever it was that lay before them.

"That's it," Alphys answered, "A human and monster soul fused together." The words hung in the air for a moment. The glowing soul on the ground had a unique shape. Unlike a human soul which looked like a typical heart shape and a monster soul which looked like an upside-down version of that, this soul seemed to have a half of the human soul shape and a half of the monster soul shape. It glowed yellowish gold on the human half of the soul and a stark white on the monster half of the soul.

 _F-Frisk! I-Isn't that like us? Human and monster, together?_ Asriel asked Frisk silently, squinting to look at the soul carefully. He couldn't believe it.

 _Does that mean our souls look like that too?_ Frisk asked back, and Asriel nodded. No one could have thought Gaster got his hands on a human soul. Asriel suddenly realized.

 _When I used the souls of the Underground to break the Barrier!_ Asriel shouted mentally, and Frisk seemed to realize it too. _The human souls—they simply vanished somewhere!_ Asriel's eyes widened.

 _And Gaster got his hands on this soul?_ Frisk asked in reply, and he staggered a few feet back. _Doesn't this mean that Gaster has tremendous power now?_ Asriel hoped Frisk was wrong in this part. He really did.

"Is that soul moving?!" Undyne shouted, throwing a spear at it. The soul vanished and reappeared, dodging the spear. Everyone froze in place, not knowing what to do exactly. Gaster's soul floated in the air. A flash of light illuminated everything in the room. There was a colossal wall filled with jars of test subjects behind the soul, hidden in the darkness. Asriel knew where this was going. Frisk did too.

 _FOOLISH MONSTERS, THINKING YOU COULD DESTROY ME AGAIN? TOO BAD NOW YOU WON'T GET OUT OF HERE ALIVE!_ A voice sneered at them and the soul vanished, and every glass jar shattered, falling from the shelves that held them.

"EVERYONE! GET OUT OF THERE!" Frisk shouted, hoping none of them would be caught in there. Hoping everyone would be safe. Everyone did manage to get out of there, the room filled with the jars and Gaster. Something was happening within there, and they did not want to see it happen.

"Alphys, what is he doing in there?" Asgore asked, his voice trembling with rage and terror. Sans seemed to know the answer, as he could only stare at the darkened door for now. Alphys trembled.

"He… He figured out a way to fuse human and monster souls together, and he did it to himself," Alphys explained quickly, "And now… since he too has Determination within him… He can fuse with the bodies of monsters. Like… Like the Amalgamates." Toriel gasped and Asgore could only look down, his face drawn tight. Undyne's eyes widened in fear. Papyrus closed his eyes and Sans placed an arm around his brother. Everyone seemed to have… lost hope now. Fear had settled in, stifling the glimmer of hope all of them had in their hearts.

 _Hey Asriel_ , Frisk called softly, his voice calm. Asriel looked at him curiously. _If Gaster is part monster and part human… Aren't we the only ones able to face him and overcome his power?_

 _You have a point there,_ Asriel answered back, and he felt a slight twinge in his chest. _Wait, you're saying… We… Fight him?_ Frisk smiled at Asriel.

 _With Determination, we can do anything, can't we?_ Frisk reached a hand out to Asriel. _As Gaster calls us, Dreamers._ Asriel understood what he meant by that.

 _Because our Determination lets us Hope and Dream. Hope and Dream big, isn't it? That's what you showed me._ Asriel felt his chest warming up and held Frisk's hand. Frisk made a wide grin.

 _So, how are we going to do this?_ Asriel asked, and Frisk's eyes twinkled with hopefulness. Asriel too saw this hope they shared. They were Dreamers, as Gaster said. They could Dream big enough to make it a Hope, Hope that could shine brighter than anything.

* * *

Thank you for reading!

Me: *to 2015* Bye Felicia

2016: HELLO FROM THE OTHER SIDE

I hope everyone has fun counting down for the New Year! :)


	14. Chapter 13 - Soul Bonds

Hello everyone! I'm on a roll with updating this fanfic, oh my me oh my. I'm so thankful for everyone who reads my fanfiction, thank you so much. And I'm glad that I can spend most of my time doing this, I love this life of being a literal shut-in, always writing and watching anime. :) But anyways...

Gaster: AT LONG LAST I AM BACK AND-

Sans: can i get a glamburger with that

Papyrus: And a Mettaton's face-shaped steak?

Sans: lol bro wut

Papyrus: *Realizes his mistake* I-I-I mean-

Alphys: Papyrus, you mean you... Mettaton... *Runs off to prepare for BL*

Undyne: Oh no

I hope you enjoy this chapter, and as always, feel free to leave a review ;)

* * *

 **Chapter 13 – Soul Bonds**

The grinding of bones and screeching of gears could be heard from the dark room ahead. Those sounds struck fear within all who heard. With Gaster's ominous laughter echoing, the atmosphere grew darker and heavier. Everyone stood huddle together, wondering what they should do.

"H-He's stronger than I thought," Alphys interjected, breaking up the darkened mood. Sans had his head down, Papyrus and Toriel at each side to console him somehow. Asgore was standing with Undyne, discussing perhaps strategies to do something about it. At least they hadn't lost hope yet.

"why? why can't we defeat him?" Sans uttered, frustrated with everything. His eyes lost the cyan glow and remained white, just like Papyrus's. Toriel wrapped an arm around Sans and cooed words of encouragement and hope.

 _We can't just sit around like sitting ducks waiting for Gaster to crush us,_ Asriel urged Frisk. He didn't want everyone to be this way—hopeless. The two of them stood in the middle of the lab and tried to gather everyone's attention. Toriel looked at her children, slightly bewildered.

"My children? What is the matter?" Toriel asked with genuine worry. Frisk beamed at her and shook his head slightly. One by one, everyone gathered around them. Gaster's room thudded loudly, as if he were crushing the very room that confined him. Time was not on their side for sure. Gaster would be out of there very soon. Asriel nodded to Frisk.

"There's something everyone should know," Frisk announced in his soft yet firm voice. "Our souls—Asriel's and mine—are similar to Gaster's." Sans's eye sockets widened. Alphys took off her glasses and rubbed them on her lab coat. Undyne and Asgore stopped talking. Toriel and Papyrus could only smile.

"Our souls are like his. Part human, part monster," Asriel continued for Frisk, "Gerson gave away his, and Frisk gave his away too. And the both of us…" He faltered, slightly worried if their parents should be hearing this. Toriel's smile seemed a bit strained.

"Share a bond," Frisk stated, looking at Asriel. "Where we have identical souls, but different minds." Asriel reached out for Frisk's hand. He looked at everyone's faces. They didn't seem abhorrent of this or even scared. Toriel and Asgore seemed happy as usual. Their parents didn't mind at all.

"Wait, so Asriel. You have Gerson and Frisk's soul," Alphys clarified, "And Frisk, you have Gerson's and your own soul." Frisk and Asriel nodded. Alphys couldn't believe it. Soul fusing—the exact thing Gaster had tried countless times—was done by two children. She couldn't believe it, but she knew it to be true.

"because asriel didn't have a soul to start off with," Sans spoke up suddenly, "then this has to be true." Undyne nodded, perhaps understanding it. _But how will we utilize this to our advantage?_ Asriel thought, wondering if this would be enough to counter Gaster.

"Then… They'd be as strong as Gaster?" Undyne asked, holding up a spear. Asriel glanced at Frisk. Frisk shrugged. Asriel tried to remember to when he had Chara's soul, a long time ago, before he died. He remembered the feeling. Power.

"Exactly," Alphys answered for her, "And with the two of them, they are the strongest." Alphys grinned at the two children in front of her, who stood there with silly little grins full of childlike whim and energy.

"So we'll take care of Gaster," Asriel finally stated, and he saw the tears falling from Toriel's eyes. But she was also smiling. Asgore couldn't help but do the same. Parents, no matter what, were always worried about their children. Frisk leapt for them and threw his arms around them.

"We'll be fine. Asriel and I… We're your sons. We can do so much now," Frisk muttered to them, and Toriel laughed as she wiped her tears away. Asriel jumped into his parents' embrace, enjoying the warmth and shelter.

"We believe in you, Frisk, Asriel," Asgore finally croaked out, his eyes welling up with tears as well. Toriel snuggled them closer to her and gave them each a kiss on the forehead.

"Because both of you are Dreemurrs," Toriel whispered, "We believe in you both." And she let go of them. Her children left her grasp and started trudging to where a malicious creature lay, waiting for the next prey. Everyone cheered the two Dreemurrs on, holding back tears and letting them renew the hopes and dreams they had abandoned.

* * *

"So how exactly are we going to defeat this guy?" Frisk finally asked, as he and Asriel stood in front of Gaster's dark room. Asriel looked at Frisk, shocked at his question. He too didn't quite know what he was supposed to do now.

"Our soul bond… Is there anything we can do with it?" Asriel asked, thinking carefully as to what this really could mean for them. Ever since he returned to his original form, he didn't try to summon his powers. He never did. He wondered if Frisk was stronger.

"Wait, since my soul is also made partly of monster soul, that means I can cast magic?" Frisk asked, his eyes shining with excitement. Asriel thought this was possible. Frisk seemed overjoyed to be able to cast magic. The only problem was that he didn't really know how to. The two of them stood in front of the dark entrance, listening to the grotesque noises that came from the room. _Souls. Monster and Human souls. That's almost exactly like that time!_ Asriel suddenly remembered.

"Frisk! I remember!" Asriel shouted excitedly, "When Chara—the first human—and I combined our souls and bodies, we had the power to do anything. We can do the same here, right now." Frisk didn't seem afraid at all. He was most probably absolutely excited that he could use magic.

"I guess we know what to do then, don't we?" Frisk replied, holding Asriel's hand tightly. Their hands started to glow, at first a dim shimmer and soon a brilliant light engulfed them whole, shining brighter than anything in the Underground.

* * *

Everyone else lay on the ground of the lab, having exhausted all their energy into fighting Gaster. Toriel and Asgore could barely stay conscious, and Sans had already drifted off to a deep slumber. Papyrus was awake, as well as Undyne and Alphys.

"Alphys dear," Toriel called out, "If both Asriel and Frisk have monster and human souls…" She paused, breathing heavily after each word. She closed her eyes for a second.

"Both of them have the Determination of humans and the Magic of monsters," Alphys finished her sentence, and strained to look at the children far ahead of them. They were standing there and suddenly the entire lab was illuminated with a bright light. Toriel remembered this familiar, bright light.

"Darling, this light… It's just like then, isn't it?" Toriel asked Asgore. Both of them never forgot this light even after all those years.

"What amazing children we have, Tori," Asgore murmured, and Toriel nodded in agreement. They felt hope once again as they lay there bathed in the warm, golden light.

* * *

"So we're becoming one, aren't we?" Frisk asked softly, his arms around Asriel. Asriel nodded slowly, feeling the warmth starting to expand from between them. The two Dreemurrs were in each other's arms, engulfed in light and warmth. Asriel felt Frisk's very soul and mind, slowly melting into his own soul and mind. Their bodies started losing form and shape, but nothing was truly visible in such brilliant light.

* * *

 _"This is the Overworld..?" Asriel remembered asking himself, and he felt Chara answering with a definite yes as they stood in the grassy fields of the Overworld. The air was different, the skies were blue, and everything felt more vivid._

 _"Chara, what are you trying to do?" Asriel struggled for control. Chara laughed maliciously in his mind. He couldn't let Chara do that. He didn't want to give in to Chara's desires._

 _"No, we can't kill the humans, Chara. We can't. We won't," Asriel stated resolutely. Chara didn't listen. It was at that moment that Asriel realized how evil of a brother he had. How malicious and disgusting of a human he truly was._

* * *

 _Well this feels new,_ Frisk muttered, feeling his mind and body together with Asriel's.

 _You'll get used to it,_ Asriel replied jovially, adjusting himself to his new mind and body.

 _Do we get to have a cool name for this?_ Frisk asked, feeling heroic and brave.

 _We can think of one for sure,_ Asriel replied, and it was obvious he wanted a name too.

As the light faded, a figure stood there tall and strong. The figure looked just like the transformed version of Asriel, but he also looked like Frisk at the same time. There was one particular thing that made him all the more distinct. A pair of wings sprouted from the back, feathers as white as Asriel's fur.

 _We have wings?!_ Frisk asked excitedly in the figure's mind. Their body reacted similarly, looking at the wings behind him, a child's grin on his face. Asriel too was delighted at the wings. They took a step forward, smoothly and naturally. Neither of them fought for control over the body, it was as if they were supposed to be this way—living in one mind.

 _How are we even doing this?_ Asriel asked, feeling the perfect, balanced control he had over everything. Frisk seemed to notice that too. They were perfect together, in sync and in balance. With power and determination running through them, they knew it was time to face Gaster.

* * *

 _Wow this place is a literal dump_ , Frisk muttered, his feelings clearly expressed in those words. Asriel couldn't agree more. As they illuminated the large room, they saw how the floor was covered in debris, everything cluttered and smashed into pieces. Both of them agreed that even Sans couldn't get this untidy.

 _"AT LONG LAST, MY LITTLE DREAMERS ARE HERE!"_ A voice whispered from the darkness. Frisk and Asriel stepped into the stifling darkness and stood there with not a hint of fear on their face. They lifted an arm and the darkness faded out, and light filled the room. Gaster hissed loudly in pain, and they finally saw the true horror of what Gaster had turned into.

Gaster's mask was still intact for some reason upon his head, if that were to be called a head. His ghostly form no more, he had instead turned into a fleshy mound of monster parts, even more grotesque than the Amalgamates. All the colors on each monster limb and body were retained, and each part squirmed and pulsed, as if life were still within them. Gaster's mask was held up by fifty hands, each from a different monster. Frisk and Asriel could only stare at the face that gloated above them.

 _Would this be a bad time to throw up?_ Asriel thought to Frisk, and Frisk didn't really think of that as a bad idea. Gaster's mask hovered lazily over them, a smile pasted on his face and his eyes were simply narrow cracks.

 _"Well children, show me what your little hopes and dreams can do,"_ Gaster stated, his smile inching up his face, and his eyes opening just a bit wider. Asriel and Frisk stood there, staring back at him with not a trace of emotion on their face.

"You don't deserve to exist, Gaster," Their voices speaking at the same time. Slowly raising their hands, Asriel focused his will and energy into one of his most powerful spells.

 _So that's how you use magic,_ Frisk uttered, feeling and understanding what Asriel was doing. Perhaps that was the advantage of sharing a mind. They understood each other perfectly, and they knew exactly what to do. Asriel wondered if Gaster too shared such a bond with the human he took over.

A million stars fell, exploding upon contact with Gaster. It was almost horrifically beautiful, the brilliantly shining stars showering upon the monster before them, illuminating the entire room with pure white light. Gaster's cries of pain echoed over and over, but the stars didn't relent. They continued their chain explosions.

 _Always going for the fancy spells, aren't you,_ Frisk taunted Asriel, and he could picture Frisk's smile in mind. He had no idea what Frisk would do, until now, he never really had magic within him.

Frisk willed their arm to flick upward, and suddenly the floor started falling apart, giving out to huge vines that ensnared the malicious monster before them. The vines encased the mountain of monster parts and soon covered Gaster's smiling face. Then everything was silent and still. Frisk and Asriel stood there in the room, watching the great mound of vines. A rumbling sound reverberated in the room, soft and low. They took a few steps back, sensing danger.

 _"How cute of you,"_ Gaster spoke, his voice muffled under all the greenery that covered him. Both Asriel and Frisk felt a sense of dread from hearing Gaster. They watched the vines crumble away slowly, turning black like ash. Gaster was no longer the huge heap of flesh they saw at first. Instead, insect-like wings protruded from his back in grotesque angles, and his shadowy body no more, but a hideous assortment of various monster limbs, entirely black in color. Gaster's face was still there, but it no longer had the porcelain appearance to it. He had a body, a body just as efficient and durable as a human's.

 _"Alas, all that you've done has allowed me to have this magnificent body,"_ Gaster proclaimed, fluttering his disgusting wings with a sickening squelch. _"And now, please observe the sort of things I can do, my little dreamers."_ With that, Gaster's head suddenly snapped upwards, and black miasma started to rise from the ground, seeping out of the cracks and fissures. Darkness enveloped the entire room once again, blinding Asriel and Frisk. They tried to summon light, but it didn't have any effect. They waited in anticipation of Gaster's attacks.

 _"Are my little dreamers afraid now?"_ Gaster sneered at them, _"It would pain me to see you suffer… So why not a quick death, little children?"_ His voice suddenly sounded closer to them. They felt something hit them squarely in the stomach, knocking the breath out of them and pinning them on the ground. The pain was just bearable, and the two of them struggled to stay conscious. Even though they had grown powerful, they still were children. Looking up from the ground, they saw Gaster's foot on top of them and his sinister, black and beady eyes looking out from a leather-like face. There was an ugly sneer on that face. Both Asriel and Frisk agreed that they needed to get rid of that ugly face.

 _"Could this be the end of our hopes and dreams?"_ Gaster added dramatically as he lowered his hand, about to grasp for Frisk and Asriel's neck. They waited for whatever Gaster was about to do. With their eyes shut, they waited. But nothing happened. Slowly opening their eyes, they found Gaster with a hole through his body, and a shocked expression frozen upon his face. The darkness faded out, replaced with light. Then they saw—Toriel's flames and Sans's Gasterblasters. They felt relief and joy in their hearts.

"What, exactly, do you think you're doing to MY children?" Toriel shouted in fury, and Sans had a mischievous smile on his face. Gaster turned his head completely to look at the two who had attacked him. The sight disgusted Frisk and Asriel.

 _"Company already?"_ Gaster stated coldly, _"But that matters not."_ Gaster hoisted Frisk and Asriel's body in a flash and held them up at Toriel and Sans. The hole in Gaster's body was starting be filled up, regenerating quickly.

 _We need to defeat him before he kills us_ , Frisk thought to Asriel in their minds. Asriel concurred, but all they could do for now was to be held up on the verge of death by Gaster. They saw the fury and helplessness in both Toriel and Sans's eyes. Asriel felt his mind racing for something to save them all. And for one clear moment, he understood what they needed to do. He quickly shared with Frisk the idea he had. Frisk felt that it was simply absurd, but he decided to believe in Asriel.

 _"How unfortunate, these two hopes you had..."_ Gaster continued speaking, his voice dripping with malice. _"They're just going to vanish in front of you."_ He extended his hand and a scythe suddenly materialized within his grasp.

 _Does that count as magic too, Asriel?_ Frisk asked, his curiosity at this point being a bit too absurd for Asriel. Asriel didn't exactly know the answer to that, so he decided to say yes. Perhaps they could talk about it later, if they didn't die. Asriel decided that it was now that they go with their plan, a plan that could save them and kill Gaster.

"Hey Gaster," Their voices spoke at once. Gaster looked at his victim almost curiously, wondering what they'd have to say. "With those holes in your hand, can we say that you're holey?" And for a good whole minute, Toriel and Sans were laughing to the verge of tears and collapsing. Gaster's smile was wiped off, and he seemed utterly stunned. Who knew the greatest weapon of all time was a bad joke?

"NOW WE STRIKE!" Asriel and Frisk shouted, breaking free of Gaster's grasp and immediately calling down a thousand stars and lightning bolts for Gaster. Sans and Toriel quickly recovered and helped by using their own attacks. Gaster withstood all this and looked at them, laughing at the three figures that stood before him. Their attacks weren't enough, and he knew it. His laughter continued on. Asriel and Frisk felt a warm hand on their shoulder. They turned back to see their father.

"You two really do look different now," Asgore stated, "But we'll have a cup of tea later." He grinned and readied his trident. Undyne and Alphys stood beside him and gave them a thumbs-up. Frisk and Asriel grinned.

"I heard that pun, you two," Papyrus stated gravely, "I can't believe Sans has already gotten his horrid jokes in you." He muttered, shaking his head and smiling. He winked at his two favorite nephews.

"kiddo, bucko, you have no idea how proud i am right now," Sans spoke up, placing a hand on them. Even the Gasterblasters seemed to be smiling. Toriel placed a hand on her children, and she nodded at them. They had their family and friends to help them, whenever and wherever.

 _Hopes and Dreams,_ Asriel muttered in his mind. Frisk chuckled slightly in agreement. _Well then, we should finish him off now._ Their minds connected once more, becoming one, whole. Determination, Hopes, and Dreams—these things flowed through them, passed on to the others beside them. Everyone's hearts were beating as one in that moment.

"Now," Asriel and Frisk declared, and everyone struck the mad scientist down with their very own attacks and magic. Stars, lightning, flames, spears, and light exploded as they reached Gaster, whose laughter continued on to a high-pitched scream of pure agony. Those screams continued as everyone pressed on, expending their magic and energy into finishing off the last remaining force of evil in their world. The screams could no longer be heard as the brilliant light continued on, shining brightly over everything, splitting the very soul of Gaster. There was a faint shattering sound in the middle of all the explosions and thundering sounds. A faint yet clear note that signified the end, once and for all.

 _"Ah. Perhaps this… Might… Be…"_ Gaster whispered as he crumbled to dust, and no one could hear him anymore. The light slowly faded, just like the sun would as it sank beneath the horizon. All of them stood there in the darkening room, and they saw that everything was over now. Gaster was no more.

 _That… Went well, didn't it?_ Frisk thought to Asriel. He felt a slight tug in their minds. It seemed as if their time to be together had reached the limits. Their body started to shimmer and glow, and slowly, their minds and bodies split, returning to their original bodies. And just as both of them felt their own bodies and minds again, they felt weak and exhausted.

 _And we're at our limits too..._ Asriel thought out to Frisk right before they lost consciousness. The two Dreemurrs collapsed onto the ground, each face graced with a peaceful smile filled with hopes.

* * *

When all of them managed to get out of Gaster's lab, the entire lab caved in and the trapdoor was blocked with giant debris and boulders. They were relieved to see that no one would ever come out or go into that place. The two children were on Asgore's shoulders, sleeping soundly.

"How long were we even in that place?" Undyne asked impatiently, and Alphys flipped open her phone to check the time. She gasped, astonished. She held out her phone for everyone to see. They didn't quite believe it.

"Thirty minutes? That was it?" Papyrus too seemed quite shocked at that. Sans thought that perhaps Gaster had used some of his powers to distort the temporal boundaries for his lab. But he didn't really care, as it no longer posed as a threat.

"i'm going to grillby's," Sans decided after five minutes of thinking, "anyone coming with me?"

* * *

The rest of the day was spent in Snowdin, where Toriel and Asgore kissed in a booth in Grillby's, where they thought they wouldn't get noticed, thinking no one was looking. It was also where Undyne and Alphys kissed too, but no one really noticed that. Alphys was thankful for that. That evening was also when Mettaton swung by to ask Papyrus out on a date, and Sans was flabbergasted—his ketchup bottle was empty. The scenario went something like this:

"Oh Papyrus, I was worried SICK about you, darling," Mettaton called for Papyrus as he busted the doors open. Grillby didn't seem to mind. Papyrus's cheeks flushed a warm orange, just like his eyes. He turned to look at the robot.

"A-Ah! M-Mettaton!" Papyrus managed out, not knowing what to say to the attractive robot that stood in front of him. Mettaton leaned closer to Papyrus's face and looked into Papyrus's eye sockets. Papyrus didn't know what to do. He felt dizzy just by looking at Mettaton's eyes.

"Go on a date with me, Papyrus," Mettaton demanded, loud and clear. Everyone fell silent in Grillby's. All eyes were on Papyrus. What would he say? And more importantly, where was Sans?

"M-M-M-Me?! On a d-d-date?! With y-you, M-Mettaton?!" Papyrus stammered out, his heart thumping (let's say he had one) and his eyes unable to look at Mettaton. Somewhere in the corner at this point, Alphys and Undyne were kissing passionately.

"Who else is a Papyrus around here, darling?" Mettaton's voice soothed Papyrus's nerves, and as Papyrus was just about to answer, there was a great crash in the middle of Grillby's. Mettaton and Papyrus looked to see Sans, his eyes glowing bright cyan and his face frozen in a sinister smile.

"S-Sans! Y-You're here!" Papyrus shouted, slightly afraid of what his brother would do. "I was looking for you everywhere!" Mettaton too seemed scared, and he hoped Sans wouldn't do anything to him. He hoped. Sans started trudging slowly towards them, closer and closer. His blazing eyes aglow with something no one could fathom. Everyone watched, holding their breaths. Tension arose, and everything was just about to reach a heartstopping climax when-

"Why is my bottle of ketchup empty?" Sans asked, his face still frozen in that sinister smile. Grillby looked up from the glass he was polishing. He paused, placing the glass down. He then reached down the counter and grabbed another bottle of ketchup. He handed it to Sans, who returned his empty one and took the full bottle of ketchup. He proceeded to gulp it down, finishing it all off with a rather loud belch that shook the diner and made everyone flinch. His eyes dimmed slightly and looked around.

"is there something wrong?" Sans asked, wondering why everything had fallen so silent. He looked at Mettaton and Papyrus, who were frozen still beside him. Sans simply shrugged and turned to Grillby and started chatting. The atmosphere eased off and the entire diner reverted to its convivial mood. Papyrus regained his senses and quickly placed a hand on Mettaton, ready to answer.

"Sure, I'll go on a d-date with you," Papyrus murmured and Mettaton perked up, looking at the skeleton in front of him with wonder and amazement. He broke into a smile and almost cried out in joy when Papyrus suddenly leaned in to press his "lips" on Mettaton's "lips". Sans quickly flipped out his camera and snapped a picture without them knowing. He now had something to use against his brother. He snickered as he pocketed the picture and went on conversing with Grillby.

* * *

And the two little Dreemurrs were back at Papyrus and Sans's home, sleeping the day through. They held each other in their arms, their heads touching. Looking at the smiles on their faces, perhaps the two of them were dreaming together, sharing a dream.

* * *

Well, that was Chapter 13. Thank you for reading and do look forward to the next chapters! Thanks! :)


	15. Chapter 14 - Onwards

Guys, I honestly don't know how to thank all of you for reading this... :'D I honestly didn't know this many people would even read it... Again, thank you so much! You guys are the best. Because of you reading, I can continue and be filled with detemmienation for this fanfic. With the holidays soon finishing, I don't know if I can update as much, but I will do my best to update as many chapters as possible. I haven't even drawn in a while... Oh dear... Anyways...

Temmie: hOI! i'm tEMMIE!

Asgore: Tea?

Toriel: Fluffybuns, don't terrify the poor thing

Sans: *stares from a distance*

Papyrus: Sans? What are you look-

Mettaton: PAPYRUS MY MAGNIFICENT DARLING SKELETON!

Alphys: *taking pictures*

Undyne: A-Alph?

Asriel: F-Frisk, I-

Frisk: ASRIEL COME WITH ME WE MUST GO

Please enjoy this chapter! :)

* * *

 **Chapter 14 – Onwards**

In the palace of the Underground, where Asgore had a beautiful garden, Toriel and Asgore sat in the middle of all the yellow flowers. Toriel leaned her head on Asgore's shoulder, listening to the chirping of the birds and the warm light that flickered through the leafy ceiling. Asgore was humming a familiar tune. They were soon joined by Sans, Alphys, Papyrus, and Undyne. Toriel smiled up at them and beckoned them to sit. After greeting each other and cracking a few bad jokes, everyone's faces turned a shade sterner. Except Sans, since his smile was rather permanent.

"So now we have peace forevermore," Toriel stated softly, and everyone seemed to agree with this statement. "But we do need to move on from the Under, do we not?"

"With the barrier gone, we are free to move out," Asgore replied in accordance, and he seemed pleased with this fact. "After all those years, we can finally be free." Toriel looked at her husband briefly. He was clenching his fists hard, as if had a few regrets about this particular fact. She placed a hand on his fist, knowing that he still felt guilty over the human souls he had taken.

"Gaster and Flowey are no more, we can move on, right?" Alphys asked cautiously, glancing around. Beside her, Undyne lay on the bed of flowers, holding up a yellow flower in the light.

"But will the humans accept us?" Undyne asked, her voice soft and clear. She crushed the flower in her hand and sat up, leaning against Alphys. Sans seemed to be sleeping, his eyesockets closed and his head on Papyrus's lap.

"I'm sure there are good humans like Frisk who can," Papyrus spoke, looking down at his brother. Sans, who was smiling even when sleeping, seemed to agree with what Papyrus said. Toriel took a moment to look around, admiring everything around her. She made a decision.

"Well then, we should start making our way, shouldn't we?" Toriel asked everyone, standing up and grinning. No longer did the monsters need to stay underneath the mountain. They could finally go back up and be a part of the world the humans took. Humans and monsters after all were not so different, were they?

* * *

"Frisk!" Asriel's voice cried out plaintively as he begged for mercy. Squirming and writhing, he latched onto the hands that reached his neck and other sensitive areas, tickling him incessantly. He shrieked with laughter and pain, swinging his legs up and down and struggling to get out Frisk's torture.

"Are you going to disturb me when I'm sleeping again?" Frisk whispered in Asriel's ear, his voice dangerously soft. Asriel, still in tears, took a few deep breaths and composed himself.

"N-No…" Asriel murmured, and Frisk finally let him go. Asriel rolled a few feet away and curled up, nursing his injuries. Frisk couldn't help but laugh at the sight. Asriel growled in annoyance. The two of them were still in Snowdin, in Sans and Papyrus's home. With the fight over, both of them woke up feeling relieved and refreshed that morning. For some reason, no one was in the house.

"Do you think the fridge would have something other than spaghetti that we can eat?" Frisk asked, his stomach grumbling loudly. Asriel pondered that for a moment. As much as he wanted to say yes to that question, he knew the answer would be a definite no, considering Papyrus. Still they walked into the kitchen, hunting for something to eat. Asriel noticed something on the fridge.

"Hey, look," Asriel said as he plucked the sticky note from the fridge. "It's from Mom!" He scanned it quickly and gave it to Frisk. Frisk perused it for a moment and looked ecstatic. Hope was still there for them.

"Where's the pie?!" Frisk shouted, ripping the fridge open. All the space in the fridge was taken up by containers all labeled "spaghetti." Asriel stood beside him, looking for the pie. The pie was all that mattered to them now. Asriel looked around the kitchen. His face brightened up into a smile suddenly.

"I always wondered why Mom would make cinnamon and butterscotch pie," Frisk muttered between every bite, his mouth full of cinnamon and butterscotch. Frisk continued shoveling bites of the pie, but Asriel remembered something about the pie.

* * *

 _"So my children, butterscotch or cinnamon?" Toriel asked kindly, holding Asriel and Chara in her arms. They were younger, much younger back then. Asriel and Chara both thought carefully. There was only one thing Asriel liked between the two._

 _"Butterscotch!" Asriel screamed in delight. He hoped Chara would say the same._

 _"Cinnamon!" Chara yelled out at the same time with Asriel. He looked at Asriel with a sly grin. Asriel looked back up at his mother. Toriel only smiled._

 _"How about a cinnamon and butterscotch pie?" Toriel asked once more, her sweet smile never quite fading from her face. The children nodded in agreement, having reached a compromise thanks to their mother._

* * *

"Asriel? Hey, you okay?" Frisk was shaking Asriel with pie in his mouth still. Asriel found himself in the middle of eating the pie, the fork he was holding hovering in mid-air. He resumed eating and grinned at Frisk. He didn't think he'd suddenly have a flashback.

"Y-Yeah, just had something to think about," Asriel replied with a laugh. Frisk still looked at him in concern. Something was definitely off. As they ate, Frisk noticed a slip of paper from beneath the pie. He pulled it out and read it quickly. It was also from Toriel.

"So everyone's at the palace, huh?" Frisk muttered. Asriel nodded at him and stood up from the table. Frisk took a hurried bite and munched on as he left walked away with Asriel, making their way out of the house. They closed the door behind them silently, leaving the house as it always had been.

* * *

"You know Tori, I feel as if I'm missing something right now," Asgore muttered as he placed his cup of tea on the saucer he was holding. They were now having tea. Toriel took a slight sip and looked up, surprised that Asgore would miss out something.

"What is it, Fluffybuns?" Toriel winked and reached for a Mettaton's face-shaped cookie. They looked weird, but they tasted absolutely superb. Undyne and Alphys were at a far side of the garden, sipping tea and perhaps talking about anime. Papyrus was now sitting with Mettaton who had decided to pop over for a visit. Toriel thought of how adorable they looked together. Sans was still sleeping on Papyrus's lap.

"Hmm… This feeling…" Asgore groaned and his eyes widened suddenly. "Our kids?! Tori! Our kids are still in Snowdin!" Asgore placed his hands on Toriel's shoulder. Toriel could only laugh at her husband's sudden outburst of fear. She placed a light kiss on Asgore's cheek.

"Oh Gorey, always so concerned about everyone," Toriel whispered, "I left them a little note, and I'm sure they can make their way back here. And you're forgetting one thing. They're our kids." Asgore blinked for a few seconds before making a relieved smile.

"Well perhaps that does change a few things-" Asgore's words broke off as he fell on the floor due to Toriel's sudden lunge at Asgore. She laughed mirthfully and placed her head on Asgore's broad chest. She reached for Asgore's hand.

"Our family will always come together no matter what. This is merely a test of independence for them, Gorey," Toriel stated, her eyes closed. Asgore didn't quite like the idea of it still. He tried to relax, lying under the leafy canopy that loomed over them. Asgore grasped Toriel's hand and continued humming his little tune softly.

* * *

"Please don't noogie the skeleton," Papyrus murmured as he found himself in a slightly interesting situation with his brother's sleeping head on his lap and Mettaton's heart-racing proximity to himself. Mettaton's smirk had a weird effect on him. He felt his face warming up rapidly and unable to look at Mettaton.

"Darling, we ought to have another heart-to-heart," Mettaton declared as he held Papyrus's shoulders. Papyrus couldn't move, as he didn't want to disturb Sans. He couldn't struggle or even call for help. He knew he was going to regret his next words.

"I-I guess I could, Metta," Papyrus stated softly, closing his eyes. Mettaton, still smiling, could only admire his favorite skeleton. He couldn't help the fact that the skeleton in front of him was attractive. He placed his metal head on Papyrus's shoulder and interlaced his fingers with Papyrus's.

"Well that wasn't so difficult, was it?" Mettaton spoke up, his eyes focused on Papyrus's hand. Papyrus didn't answer, but his face told it all. Sans seemed to be smiling even at this moment, as if he heard it all and knew it all. Yet, he stayed motionless and seemed to be sleeping.

* * *

"Hm… So you're saying that Mom purposely did this to test our independence?" Asriel asked Frisk, who nodded enthusiastically, remembering that moment in the Ruins. It was exciting for him. Asriel squinted and thought about it. He did remember his mother being somewhat eccentric, thinking of such things. As they trudged their way through Waterfall, he did see the sense in what Frisk was saying.

"Well, that's just mom, isn't it," Asriel muttered as they walked on, through the swamps and dark waters. They met many different monsters, and all of them were friends to the two Dreemurrs. An encounter with Temmie went something as follows:

"hOI!" Temmie spoke with bubbling enthusiasm, "i'm tEMMIE!" And Temmie started trembling with excitement, reasons for it still unknown. Frisk reached out to pet Temmie.

"Temmie, why are you shaking?" Frisk asked, curious about almost anything in the world as usual. Temmie looked at him fearfully. The vibrations intensified. Asriel could feel something entirely off about that.

"hOOMAN! Such a… CUTE! PRiNCE aSRIEL! hOI! awawawawa..." Temmie leaped up and vibrated intensely for a full second and simply vanished with temmie flakes fluttering in the air. Both Asriel and Frisk didn't know what to do or even react to that. But it did seem strange that Temmies still referred to Asriel as prince.

As the two of them made their way past Alphys's lab, Frisk continued telling Asriel about the things he faced when he traversed the entire Under. They were making their way through the MTT Resort when Frisk described his encounter with Mettaton. Asriel could easily picture Mettaton in a dress and singing. They passed by a pair of guards in shiny black armor. With their helmets off, Frisk couldn't quite figure out who they were. Both were huge in terms of height and size. They easily towered over the two children. One was a rabbit with snowy white fur and startlingly violet eyes and a bright smile. He seemed to be trying to talk to the other beside him. The other was a dragon with green scales, his face aglow, as if he were blushing. He was doing quite well at giving short, one-word replies to the rabbit.

 _Frisk, have you met them before?_ Asriel asked silently, fearful of the muscular and gigantic monsters in front of them. Frisk took a moment to think carefully. He did sense a sort of familiar air about them, and he did remember something about Royal Guards. Just as he thought he had remembered, a rather deep voice made them flinch.

"Hey! Human!" The rabbit called after them, hopping his way over to Frisk and Asriel. Asriel couldn't help but stare up at the rabbit. The guard grinned jovially and introduced himself.

"Remember me, Human? RG-01!" The rabbit declared with a charming smile. "I should like, crouch to help your necks." He sat down on the floor, his long ears flopping a little. Asriel remembered seeing this guard at the palace when he was younger. _That explains a lot,_ Asriel thought to himself.

"RG-02! What are you doing there?" RG-01 shouted at his partner, who seemed embarrassed. "It's the Human! And… Wait, Prince Asriel?!" The dragon bounded over quickly and pulled the rabbit up from the ground. They did a quick bow together.

"Your highness," RG-01 and RG-02 declared simultaneously, their low voices echoing. Asriel, flustered, looked to Frisk for some help. Frisk had a strange smile on his face, and his eyes sparkled with excitement. He didn't understand it for sure. The dragon seemed a little uncomfortable, twiddling his fingers and looking elsewhere. He then whispered something to the rabbit, who only made slight chuckle. Frisk's smile widened.

"RG-02 says hello," The rabbit spoke, and the dragon could only look down. _Wait, he's… Shy?! Frisk! Frisk! That smile is creeping me out, it's like how Alphys smiles when she looks at us._ Asriel thought out to Frisk. Frisk glared at him for a brief moment and continued to look at the guards in front of him with a dazed sort of look and the same smile.

"Were you in the palace once?" Asriel asked the rabbit, who had tried to encourage the dragon to speak. The dragon looked at Asriel with his orange eyes, and quickly looked away. Frisk seemed to be making some sort of a squeal.

"Y-Yeah, do you, like, remember me?" The guard asked, his cheeks colored red, "You were an adorable child." He laughed at the end of that. Asriel didn't quite know what to say to that. The dragon was still aloof, barely saying any words. Until, Frisk decided to approach him.

"Are you guys… Dating?" Frisk asked sweetly, and Asriel jerked his head at Frisk, surprised at the question. The rabbit flinched and he turned quite visibly pink all over. The dragon froze, his eyes widened. None of them moved and made a sound.

 _This will be worth it, I promise that,_ Frisk told Asriel mentally and Asriel honestly didn't know what to do by then. He and Frisk waited for the guards to recover. The dragon scooted closer to the rabbit and slowly placed his hand on the rabbit's shoulder. He took a deep breath.

"…Y-Yeah..." RG-02 murmured, "…We are…" He slowly made a smile at the children in front of him. He then looked at RG-01, who was still silent. He stood in front of the rabbit, trying to catch his attention. The rabbit didn't budge.

"… RG-01… Bro…" The dragon muttered and moved his hand to the rabbit's face. RG-01 lifted his face, still colored a slight pink. Frisk placed his arm around Asriel's shoulder, and started nodding slowly with a satisfied smile. Asriel still didn't get it. He looked back at the guards and finally understood what Frisk was trying to do all this time.

The dragon inched closer to the rabbit and they kissed, their lips together for a whole minute. Frisk made a cough by then and Asriel found himself staring at them, and he felt his face warming. The pair broke away from each other and quickly turned to Asriel and Frisk. Asriel couldn't look at them at this point. Frisk was still smiling.

"A-Ah s-sorry, we, like, didn't mean to do that," RG-01 stammered out, reaching for his partner's hand. RG-02 scratched his head and grabbed the rabbit's hand. They looked happier now, just like when Frisk had last seen them.

"That's okay, we should be on our way now," Frisk replied joyfully and looked at Asriel. Asriel had turned a bright shade of scarlet. Frisk sighed a little and started shaking him, trying to make him snap out of it all. The guards looked at them and whispered to each other. Frisk didn't know what to do.

"… Wh-Where are you guys going…?" The dragon asked, looking at Frisk. They knew it was the human who helped them get together and save the world. They needed to somehow repay that. With Asriel still frozen, there was definitely no way of progressing without any help.

"The palace," Frisk stated, and the dragon held out his hand to Frisk. Frisk looked at him, puzzled. He placed his hand on the dragon's massive hand. The dragon then smiled at him warmly.

"… We'll help," RG-02 stated stoically, hoisting Frisk up to his shoulders. RG-01 had Asriel on his shoulders, eyes wide open and staring blankly. Frisk had a feeling that he was going to enjoy this particular journey. _W-Will F-Frisk and I…_ Asriel thought, somewhere deep in his mind so that no one can ever know. He still remained dumbstruck on RG-01's shoulders.

* * *

"NGAHHH!" Undyne groaned loudly, standing up and throwing the wad of Underpoly cash down on the ground. "How much longer are we going to wait for them?!" Alphys looked out from her jail and sighed softly. Toriel sat on top of Asgore's back, who was kneeling on the ground like a servant. Toriel fanned herself with the Underpoly cash she accumulated. She looked at Undyne sharply.

"Oh dear…" Toriel spoke sweetly, but her voice changed immediately after those two words. "Do you want to have a bad time?" Undyne faltered and slowly sat back down. Asgore was grunting, as he had been in that position for the last two hours. Papyrus was in charge of the bank with Sans, but evidently he was taking a break from that. Papyrus watched everyone with that smile of his and Sans could only look dreamily at Toriel. Everyone knew Toriel changed _slightly_ when she played Underpoly.

"T-Tori dear," Asgore called out weakly, "Would it be alright if I can sit back down again…" Asgore thought his back was going to break for sure. His arms and legs shook, and he struggled to keep himself kneeling on his hands and knees. Toriel sneered coldly and promptly adjusted herself on top of Asgore, making sure to stand up for a second and drop back down on his back. This induced Asgore to groan in pain.

"Well Gorey dear, you went bankrupt and the deal was for you to be my slave, was it not?" Toriel smirked at her husband. Asgore wondered for a moment how he managed to marry such a monster. Undyne looked in horror and admiration, finally seeing that there was a person who could truly defeat Asgore. She felt a sense of honor and loyalty for Toriel.

"Ah, I guess you can stop kneeling. But I shan't move myself from here," Toriel stated primly, and Asgore landed on the bed of yellow flowers, unable to feel his limbs. Alphys didn't seem to care anymore, as she was going to be in jail for the rest of the game. She quietly flipped open her phone to watch more anime. Toriel and Undyne continued to play.

"Sans," Papyrus called for his brother, "Sans?" He waved a hand in front of his brother's face. Sans seemed to be staring at Toriel. He was simply mesmerized at what Toriel could do—an absolute dictator with no mercy. Papyrus tried to see what or where his brother was staring. Astonished, Sans quickly averted his eyes to Papyrus. He grinned at Papyrus as cold sweat broke out on his forehead. Papyrus's eyes narrowed.

"Sans… Were you staring at-" Before he could even speak a name or anything, Sans dove at him and the two of them landed on the flowers, with Sans struggling to silence his rather tall brother. Papyrus held Sans away from himself successfully.

"n-n-no i w-wasn't," Sans stammered out quickly, "it's just th-the garden, it's beautiful." Sans gave a quick excuse that could have fooled his brother. He hoped it would. Papyrus still narrowed his eyes but soon stopped and looked at his brother naively.

"Of course, the gardens are beautiful at this time of the day," Papyrus replied as he placed his brother next to him and sat back up. "How did I, the amazing Papyrus forget that?" He sniffed the flowers and made a rather dramatic pose.

"WHERE THE HELL IS THE BANKER?!" Toriel screamed, fireballs suddenly dancing around her. Papyrus flinched and fumbled for the Underpoly bank notes, and gave a few bills to Toriel. Toriel's fireballs vanished and her expression returned. Sans thought this as charming and fiery, fitting her personality. He continued to stare and think about Toriel while leaning against a startled Papyrus who could only wish for the game to end.

* * *

Meanwhile, in the Core, the Dreemurr children and the two Royal Guards trudged onward, making their way to New Home. The Royal Guards, hand-in-hand, had the children on their shoulders, making a few comments and explanations from time to time about the Core. Frisk thought he'd try talking to the guard instead, when awkward silence filled the atmosphere.

"So… What exactly happened after our battle and you guys went for some nice cream?" Frisk asked softly enough so that only RG-02 could hear. The dragon's green face turned a shade scarlet. His orange eyes suddenly went out of focus. Frisk knew he had asked the right question.

"…Well… After knowing that… RG-01 like, _likes_ me, I…" RG-02 coughed a little and continued, "I… kissed him…" And in that moment, Frisk felt like Alphys, he was ready to scream and shout and exclaim about how adorable all this was. He hoped RG-01 wasn't listening.

"And… I confessed…. M-my… Feelings too…" RG-02 went silent after saying that. He seemed to be smiling, evidently happy about it all. Frisk too found himself to be smiling, happy for them as well.

"RG-01…." The dragon murmured one last time and fell silent, continuing the journey in silence. Frisk patted the dragon's head and smiled. He glanced at Asriel, who had somehow recovered a little and was staring straight at Frisk. Frisk tilted his head at Asriel.

"A-Ah, um…" Asriel stated in surprise and turned away, resting his head on RG-01's soft, furry head. Thankfully the guards were walking with a bit of distance between them. Asriel didn't know what would happen if Frisk heard the things he was talking about with RG-01.

"Uh-Uhm… RG-01..." Asriel murmured, "Wh-What do you do when you… Like someone?" Asriel buried his face into the rabbit's fur and felt his face heating up. The rabbit laughed loudly, as if he had heard a terrific joke. Asriel couldn't help but feel even more embarrassed by that.

"Sorry, I didn't expect your highness to suddenly say that," RG-01 spoke, feeling slightly guilty, "But, like, my prince, you have someone you like?" Asriel lifted his head and glanced at Frisk a little away from him. He sighed a little and looked at the dysfunctional lasers and defenses around them.

"Yeah… It's… weird…" Asriel muttered, and he tried to think less of it all. RG-01 knew how Asriel felt because Asriel's situation was almost exactly like what he had faced with RG-02. He thought of a way to answer him as best as he could.

"You know prince, when I, like, liked RG-02…" The rabbit started, his low voice sounding softer, "I did everything I could to let him know about m-my feelings… We were childhood friends and we signed up for the Royal Guards together. He never knew about it back then, but I've always liked him." Asriel lifted his face from the rabbit's head and looked at the dragon.

"And... When we encountered the human… I confessed to him first, and it, like, I thought it went wrong," RG-01 continued talking, "But… We ended up this way after some ice cream." He looked up at Asriel and smiled. Asriel felt a little better from hearing that. The rabbit winked at him and walked on, through the cold atmosphere of the Core.

"Human…" RG-02 mumbled and Frisk did his best to listen. "Why did you… Spare us all?" His orange eyes reflected the same curiosity all the other monsters had. Why did he spare them all? Frisk peered into the curious eyes and smiled brightly.

"Everyone's a friend to me," Frisk answered, "all the monsters here… They're so nice to everyone and even to me. How could I throw a punch at them?" Frisk placed a hand on the dragon's head. RG-02 thought over this for a while and fell silent, satisfied with such an answer.

"Humans and… Monsters…" The dragon mumbled softly, so that Frisk wouldn't hear. "Finally…" He glanced at the human child on his shoulders and grinned. And soon enough, the four of them reached the elevator to New Home. They stood there in front of its doors.

"All of this… I remember…" Asriel muttered as he looked around the corridor. The Royal Guards held hands again and simply watched the children, as if they reminded them of something. The elevator doors opened and took them closer to the palace.

* * *

"A-Are we still playing this..?" Papyrus asked weakly, still holding the stacks of Underpoly cash in his hands. Sans was still beside him, watching Toriel. Asgore seemed to have fainted underneath Toriel's weight, although he claimed to have said that she was "as light as a feather."

"Y-Your Highness," Undyne spoke softly, "I believe it is time we… Finish the game." Toriel glared at her briefly and threw the stacks of Underpoly bills she had on the board. She stood up and trduged elsewhere in the garden. Alphys observed this and busted out of her cardboard jail, landing on top of Undyne. Asgore was still unconscious, and Sans was in a daze. Papyrus nudged Sans.

"S-Sans! Time to wake up and talk to Asgore's clone!" Papyrus whispered to Sans and Sans suddenly shot up from the ground and briskly walked over to where Toriel stood, at the far side of the garden. She stood there looking up at the ceiling.

"t-tori?" Sans asked cautiously, and he found her sniffling, eyes welling with tears. Toriel tried to wipe them away and quickly turned to Sans with her usual smile. Toriel made a small wave at him, and Sans walked even closer to her.

"are you… okay?" Sans asked in a low voice, and Toriel nodded. She moved closer to him. Sans looked up at Toriel, her eyes a watery blue due to the tears. He felt his cheeks flushing with color. Toriel stood a few inches away from Sans.

"Yes, my silly bonehead?" Toriel asked with a chuckle. Sans felt a smile grow on his face again. He reluctantly stretched his arms out, holding Toriel closer to him. He felt the soft dress against his arms. He felt warmth and comfort radiating from Toriel.

"S-Sans…" Toriel murmured, her eyes welling with more tears. Sans couldn't bear to look up at Toriel. He looked down at the square of yellow flowers at his feet. He tried to think about other things.

"Thank you, Sans," Toriel whispered softly and held Sans tightly. Bathed in the orange light, the two of them stood there in a tight embrace, feeling the warmth of the setting sun in the Under and in the comfort of each other, embracing the wounds the other has.

* * *

I hope you enjoyed this one! It took me a bit to get it going, but yeah. Feel free to leave reviews for comments and all! Thank you! :D

P.S. I'm thinking of writing a separate fanfic for the Royal Guards... Hehe... (Idk Should I?)


	16. Chapter 15 - Above and Outside

Hey guys! I'm back with another chapter! This chapter... is not the end. I will not make this the end. I cannot. I shall not. And also, I will be starting a separate fanfiction for the Royal Guards, I just... Have to. So look forward to that too!

Asriel: Author, I thought I-

Dvyitrus: SHHHH

Frisk: *Glares at Author*

Alphys: I see... *starts scribbling notes for fanfic*

Mettaton: Papyrus, darling!

Papyrus: Y-Yes, Mettaton?!

Mettaton: Bury me with your kisses, Pap-

Sans: *Slams the ground*

Mettaton: Nevermind, darling.

I hope you enjoy this chapter!

* * *

 **Chapter 15 – Above and Outside**

The grey road to the palace hadn't changed after all those years, and Asriel felt the nostalgia rise up once more, before he became a flower, before Chara died. He could almost hear the voices and the light footsteps pattering on the ground. Everything here reminded him sorely of the life he lost. He felt a hand on his shoulder.

"Let's go," Frisk spoke, his very smile bringing Asriel back to the present, where he lived once more. He nodded and walked with Frisk. The guards were far ahead of them, waiting for them. Asriel knew he couldn't keep holding onto his past. He had to move on from whatever feelings he had over this place. Everyone had to move on from their past.

He took once last glance at the road, the buildings, and just about everything that still stayed the same while he was gone. He closed his eyes briefly and faced ahead again, finally ready to face the life he would have with Frisk, his family, and friends. He held onto Frisk's hand tightly, and the two of them continued walking to where everyone else waited.

* * *

Asgore opened his eyes slowly and sat up slowly from the ground. His limbs and his back were aching, but he endured it and looked around the garden. His children weren't back yet. He saw Undyne and Alphys a little far off, Papyrus twiddling with a flower in his hand, and Toriel and Sans sitting together, talking. Asgore couldn't help but smile. He loved seeing his friends this way. As he sat there pondering about whether he should make some tea or not, he heard footsteps. He stood up slowly, ready to greet whoever it was that decided visit. He waited in front of the entrance of the garden.

"Your Majesty," A pair of royal guards declared immediately as they entered, along with Frisk and Asriel behind them, running towards Asgore. With his arms wide open, Asgore caught his two children in his arms and held them.

"Dad!" Asriel and Frisk shouted together, and Asgore didn't quite understand how his children could be so adorable. "We're choking, Dad…" Asriel muttered, and Asgore let them down on the ground. He stood there looking at them lovingly.

"NGAHHH! WE WAITED A LONG TIME PUNKS!" Undyne hollered as she marched up to them with Alphys behind her. Toriel came running to them, and Sans suddenly somehow appeared behind Frisk.

"NYEH! I SEE THE HUMAN IS BACK!" Papyrus shouted as he landed dramatically right next to Asriel. How Papyrus managed to jump that high was a mystery. Toriel took her children in her arms and held them close to her. With everyone reunited, the garden took on a more cheerful color and atmosphere. Asriel knew this was where he belonged, in the midst of everyone.

* * *

"I see, I see…" Undyne stated, standing in front of the two guards who kneeled in front of her. The guards seemed to be trembling with fear, keeping their heads down. Asriel and Frisk felt slightly guilty for that. But could anyone truly stop whatever Undyne wished to do?

"So you abandoned your posts for this," Undyne muttered, holding a spear in her hand. RG-01 flinched and cowered, but RG-02 managed to nod and still tremble in fear. Undyne simply laughed for a moment and dropped her spear.

"Thanks, you two," Undyne slapped the guards' heads and they fell face flat on the ground. She laughed even harder, standing in front of them. _What a horrifying person_ , Asriel thought. Alphys was staring at the scene. _Is she looking at the guards or Undyne?!_

"Miss Undyne! Wh-What about, like, the Royal Guard?!" RG-01 quickly recovered from that and asked. Undyne looked at him and shrugged. She then pointed to Asgore, who was staring at the flowers beneath him.

"Ask the King, he knows best," Undyne stated flippantly, "Hey Asgore!" Asgore looked up and tilted his head. Toriel put a hand on her face, once again amazed by how oblivious her husband was all the time.

"Oh... Uh… Royal Guard?" Asgore murmured to himself, "I don't think we need that, do we?" Asgore asked rather innocently. Undyne smirked at the guards, who seemed almost devastated. Asriel heard an ugly cry from behind him.

"Y-Y-YOUR MAJESTY!" Papyrus wailed with absolute misery, "But after all this time I wanted to be in the Royal Guard! I trained so much for it!" Asgore turned to look at him with a smile on his face.

"Well, you can be the Captain of the Royal Guard, if Undyne decides to not be a part of it too," Asgore declared. Undyne grinned with her fangs showing and nodded. The two Royal Guards thought over this for a while. For RG-01, this was horrible news, as he would no longer be with RG-02. For RG-02, this… Didn't really matter.

"NYEHEHEH!" Papyrus shouted joyfully, "Sans! I'm the Captain now!" Ecstatic, he shook his brother awake. Sans groaned groggily and nodded. Asriel and Frisk didn't quite know what to feel for that.

"Alright, does that make it clear to you two?" Undyne asked the guards. Both of them nodded solemnly and stood up, bowing once more to Undyne and Asgore. Then they exited, turning one last time to wave at Asriel and Frisk. Asriel hoped they would somehow end up together. He looked at Frisk, who had one of those smiles again. He also noticed that Alphys had that exact same smile. _I was right about that,_ Asriel thought to himself.

"Barrier's broken, everyone's here," Alphys cleared her throat as she declared, "So what are we waiting for?" Everyone looked at each other and smiled. Their time in the Under was going to be over very soon.

* * *

Meanwhile, in the rest of the Under, everyone prepared to start moving out, from the young to the old. In the Ruins, spiders began their Underground underground migration, moving through the Underground's very own underground tunnel systems to meet Muffet at the MTT Resort. In Snowdin, the monsters had a major celebration, held by Grillby's and a certain snowman was ecstatic to know his piece was going to the Overworld. In Waterfall, the monsters there too prepared, Napstablook closing down his family farm with Mettaton, Shyren and Aaron helping Lemon Bread out, and the Temmies moving along in a single file out of Waterfall. Many monsters visited Gerson's shop, leaving behind cards and mementos for him as a memorial. Passing through Hotlands, every monster gathered in the MTT Resort, temporarily staying there and soon moving on to the Core and New Home. Each and every monster seemed hopeful towards living in the Overworld now, where they would find a new life. No longer did they have to live underneath a mountain.

* * *

"This is where we start our new life, isn't it, Frisk?" Asriel murmured as they stood in front of the exit. Everyone else had gone ahead, starting with Undyne and Alphys, then Sans and Papyrus, and Asgore and Toriel.

"Goodbye to the Under," Frisk stated in reply, holding Asriel's hand closer to him. They looked at each other and grinned. Even if it was for a short while they had known each other, it didn't matter.

"We'll start our lives there next," Asriel stated, his voice choking up a little. All of his life, previous and as of now, were all in the Under. He didn't know what was going to come, but he had his friends and family, and most importantly, Frisk.

"I'm a little scared of it," Frisk whispered, looking ahead. Asriel gripped Frisk's hand tightly. He tried to think of something to tell Frisk.

"After all you've done, Frisk, you're the bravest human I've ever known," Asriel replied, and he placed a hand on Frisk's shoulder. Frisk smiled weakly and looked into Asriel's eyes.

"Even when I was Flowey, you never gave up. You were always there for me and for everyone. And you've done so well, Frisk," Asriel stated softly, his soft blue eyes showing the same emotion—love.

"You're going to be great, Frisk," Asriel whispered finally, and Frisk felt himself smile. He nodded slowly and leaned into Asriel's shoulder. He felt the tears slip out of his eyes and for a moment they stood there, near the exit of the Under.

"So, are we going to go?" Asriel asked softly, into Frisk's ear. Frisk lifted his head from Asriel's shoulder. He had a grin on his face.

"Yeah," Frisk replied back and the two of them took a step forward.

* * *

"So that's the Sun…" Papyrus muttered, his eyesockets focused on the great yellow ball that floated above the horizon. Everyone stood there staring at the giant star that bathed them in warmth and comfort. Toriel had tears in her eyes, and Asgore seemed to be awestruck by it. Alphys and Undyne were in an embrace, watching the sun rise slowly. Sans too seemed almost dazed by it. He had a bottle of ketchup with him too.

"Didn't think I'd see this again," Asriel said softly, admiring the scene before them. Frisk was fascinated by it, as he had no memory of living in the Overworld. This was his first time seeing such a thing. He was just like his friends and family. He too really had no idea what life in the Overworld would be. His hands started to shake. Asriel placed a hand on Frisk's hands.

"We're here with you, remember?" Asriel reassured him, and Frisk felt calmer. Asriel leaned in to place a light kiss on Frisk's cheek. Frisk felt his face redden. He looked down, flustered. Asriel laughed softly as he placed an arm around Frisk.

"Look at them," Toriel whispered to Asgore, having seen what had happened. Asgore nodded, his eyes tearing up. Toriel wiped them away and chuckled.

"Children do grow up quickly, don't they, Gorey?" Toriel stated softly, and Asgore nodded with affirmation. He too wrapped an arm around Toriel and continued watching the rising sun. A cooling breeze drifted by them, and in the cooling, refreshing air, they continued to stand there for a while.

"Alphys…" Undyne spoke up, facing Alphys. Alphys looked up, wondering if this was finally a romantic moment in their lives. She wasn't wrong. Undyne placed her lips on Alphys's forehead, and Alphys felt giddy immediately, as if she could just melt right now.

"U-U-Undyne!" Alphys shouted, flustered with the sudden affection. Undyne grinned sheepishly. Just as Alphys was about to close her eyes and lean closer to Undyne, she heard a familiar sound.

"Nyeh-hem," Papyrus coughed loudly, "I'm sure there's far more important things to do?" He smirked at Alphys and winked at her. Alphys felt a twinge of rage in her chest and adjusted her glasses. Perhaps she could do something about Papyrus and Mettaton as revenge.

"its ok bro we know you miss your sexy rectangular robot a lot," Sans replied with a joking smile. Papyrus's face turned a bright orange, and Undyne roared with laughter. Everyone else believed Papyrus and Mettaton would be quite adorable.

"but besides that, we've begun our lives here now in the overworld," Sans stated, looking at everyone. He looked different now, without the joking look on his face.

"This is the beginning of a bright new future. An era of peace between monsters and humans…" Asgore declared solemnly, "And Frisk, my son, will you be the ambassador for us?" Frisk felt everyone's eyes fall upon him. Asriel held onto Frisk's hand and smiled. The answer was evident.

"Of course I will, Dad," Frisk answered, happy to be able to help. "I'll do my best." Both Toriel and Asgore felt absolutely proud for this child of theirs. He had done so much for everyone, and even still, he wished to help even more. Frisk beamed at everyone and looked at Asriel.

"You're going to be great, Frisk," Asriel echoed his words once more, giving Frisk a hug. And onwards into the future they did go, starting over in an entirely new world with humans. The time had come for monsters and humans to coexist in peace.

* * *

Two Weeks Later…

"NGAHHH! YOU HAVE TO STIR FASTER!" Undyne screamed at the students who were doing their best to stir the pasta noodles. "STIRRING MEANS BETTER TASTE!" With their arms relentlessly stirring, Undyne sighed a little and scraped the smushed tomatoes into a pot. She was giving them cooking lessons after all.

"Alright that looks pretty good enough, class," Undyne lowered her voice and surveyed the class who stood in fear of what she would say next. "Now, we must boil that pasta." She demonstrated it by switching her own oven on and showed it to the class. Humans and monsters both looked at her in fascination. Undyne shook her head, as if she had a slight headache.

"LET THE FIRE REPRESENT YOUR PASSION AND LET IT BURN!" Undyne shouted with a scowl on her face and turned up the fire. But not too much. Her class did the same.

"Frisk, I'm sure we shouldn't turn it up too high," Asriel whispered and lowered the fire a little. Frisk protested, but he relented to Asriel's better judgment. They were in school, and strangely enough, in a cooking class held by Undyne. Sometimes Papyrus would pop over to teach the basics of being a Spaghettoire.

* * *

Only two weeks had passed, but everyone had managed to come this far. In the first week, as soon as they arrived, humans had approached cautiously. It took a while for Frisk to explain everything for the humans he hadn't seen in a while. In a conference with world leaders of the humans, the meeting went something like this:

"So you're telling me that the Great War Between Humans and Monsters was not, in fact, a legend?" A rather pudgy, middle-aged man in a suit squeaked out during the meeting. Toriel simply smiled, Asgore nodded, Alphys looked around in distress, and Undyne looked wondrously around the spacious room. They sat around a large, circular table along with some other humans. Sans was simply asleep in his chair and Papyrus seemed happy to be there. Frisk and Asriel listened attentively and answered as clearly as possible.

"Although it happened a very long time ago, the war did happen," Frisk stated with affirmation. Asriel looked at the leaders with a bright smile. Some of the middle-aged men seemed to goggle at the very sight of them.

"A-And… So underneath Mt. Ebott was where all of you, the entire population of monsters, lived and thrived?" The same man continued on, wiping the sweat off his forehead with a handkerchief.

"That's right," Asriel answered, and there were a few gasps from the humans. They whispered to each other and discussed some things. Toriel was still smiling. Asgore seemed to be interested in the tea he was given. Sans was still asleep.

"Uh… Frisk, was it?" Another pudgy man spoke up, struggling to sit upright. Frisk nodded. "So none of these monsters are dangerous?" He asked the question cautiously. Perhaps having Undyne glaring at them wasn't the best representation of the monsters. Frisk stood up and walked over to Papyrus, who immediately took the cue and looked up at the humans in front of him with a resolute look on his face. The human leaders flinched and cowered slightly.

"NYEH-HEH-HEH! BEHOLD, HUMANS! I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, WILL…" Papyrus shouted as he stood up, his cape billowing suddenly and his foot on one arm of the chair. "BE FRIENDS WITH ALL OF YOU!" He struck a pose that Mettaton taught him and stood there in awkward silence. The humans in the room started laughing, breaking into hysterics. Everyone soon started laughing, even Papyrus himself.

"Now do you see what I mean?" Frisk asked the leaders in front of him. The men and women nodded at each other and took a moment to reconsider. They looked at each monster carefully and decided. The pudgy man then stood back up, his round belly jiggling ever so slightly.

"We hereby declare Monsters to be harmless and be a part of our world," The man declared, "And legislations will be passed to include all of you as a part of our society, where no harm and no inequality will befall on any of you." The man concluded, and a rather strange silence permeated the room. It was Papyrus who broke the silence.

"Do any of you want some spaghetti from the great Spaghettoire, Papyrus the Almighty?" Papyrus declared with an oblivious look. All the humans couldn't say no to the Mascot of the Monsters. There were also reports of international leaders suddenly suffering from the same illness that day.

* * *

Through the second week, everyone gained popularity among the humans. It was Papyrus's dream come true for sure. Toriel and Asgore first gained popularity for being the monster's royalty (and partly because of the huge amounts of fanfiction Alphys spread on the internet). From the popularity, Toriel managed to set up a school for monsters and humans with Asgore. Toriel also soon released her best-selling cookbook, _1500 Ways to Cook Snails._ Asgore, on the other hand, spread the Golden Flower Tea among humans, managing to become wealthy and famous at the same time. He was also voted as the "Sexiest Monster of 201X." Toriel didn't quite like that.

Alphys became a world-renowned scientist, anime critic, and fanfiction writer. She managed to gain millions of followers and fans in the world from fanfictions and anime critiques. Her critique of Mew Mew Kissy Cutie 2 simply resonated with so many fans of that anime. Her scientific studies on the human soul also led her to earn a prize too. She soon managed to bury herself under copious amounts of anime and fanfictions.

Papyrus had discovered the Internet and became popular as the Monster's Mascot and a Spaghettoire. His revolutionary techniques in spaghetti making changed the world, and he was a beloved mascot. His Internet persona, CoolSkeleton95, soon received millions of friend requests from all over the world. But he still somehow couldn't get rid of the relentless troll, GetDuunnnked11. He did ask Sans once about it, but alas, to no avail.

Mettaton had started his career in the world with Napstablook and Shyren, quickly gracing many of the world's famous music charts and winning several awards. His single, _Oh! One True Love_ overthrew many songs and became a leading single for many, many weeks. He was also seen on a date with Papyrus. Sans didn't like seeing that on the Internet.

Undyne started her new life as a teacher and a martial artist. She represented the monsters in various competitions and won a few here and there, starting from Judo to Muay Thai. She also holds the record for "Most Children Bench-lifted." She currently lives with Alphys, in a lab very close to where the Dreemurrs live.

Sans put all his focus in taking more breaks at his home, becoming a literal shut-in by "studying human culture" and watching just about every single television series and anime series that ever existed in the world. He and Papyrus live with the Dreemurrs.

Asriel and Frisk became students in Toriel's school, and they continued to live life comfortably and in peace with their family and friends. The humans had accepted them all, and everything truly was at peace.

* * *

One warm evening, Asriel and Frisk sat in a field of golden flowers, watching the sunset. In the past two weeks, so much had happened. They led new lives in a new place and everything was different.

"Didn't think I'd even go to school," Asriel stated quietly, looking at the sun that loomed over in the distance. A slight wind breezed through them, tickling their skin and tousling their hair and fur. Frisk could only smile as he looked around him. No longer were they in the dark Underground, no longer did they breathe the slightly stale air of the Under. The air was fresh, the light was natural. They lived in a peaceful town by the ocean. The ocean awed all of them at first sight, and Undyne declared that she could live there, as she was practically a fish.

"And I didn't think I'd have friends and a family to be with," Frisk stated softly, grateful for everything that had happened so far. He remembered the first time all of them watched the sun. He remembered the first time he met all of them. And especially the first time he met Asriel.

 _If I hadn't climbed that mountain, would all of this… Would they have happened?_ Frisk thought out, and he looked at Asriel with a weak smile.

 _Which is why I asked you once, why did you climb that mountain, Frisk?_ Asriel wrapped his arm around Frisk and moved closer to him. Frisk pulled his knees closer to him and rested his head on his knees. He thought carefully.

 _I… I wanted to find someone who would… Accept me._ Frisk answered weakly, tears slowly forming from his eyes. Asriel pulled Frisk into his arms.

 _And you did find more than one, didn't you?_ Asriel asked once more, _Along with a family and friends. Frisk, I don't know how you think and feel, but we're so happy to be with you in life. You're special, Frisk, to me and to everyone else._ Frisk glanced at him with a flushed face and buried his face into Asriel's shoulder.

 _Th-Thanks… Asriel…_ Frisk replied silently, and the two of them sat there, washed in the orange light of the sun that bobbed down the horizon. Asriel nuzzled Frisk's head and closed his eyes. The sound of the wind breezing and the faint sound of the waves crashing was all that could be heard.

 _I like you, Frisk._ Asriel finally admitted, feeling a slight tingle in his chest. He had thought of telling this earlier, but he couldn't find the time to do so. Frisk looked up at Asriel, his head leaned against Asriel.

 _Uh… I…_ Frisk faltered, as he had never experienced such a thing. He looked at the horizon and gazed into Asriel's sky-blue eyes. He could never truly forget those eyes. Asriel waited patiently for an answer. He was nervous, anxious as to what Frisk would say. The wind breezed once more.

"I like you too, Asriel," Frisk finally spoke up, color rising up to his face. Asriel felt his heart pounding, and his very soul warming up within him. He wondered if Frisk felt the same way. Asriel held Frisk's shoulders, a few inches away from him. The two of them sat there looking at each other.

"bucko! kiddo! time for din-" Sans called out as he walked towards his beloved nephews, "oh." Sans stopped suddenly and the two of them stood up quickly, flustered. Neither Asriel nor Frisk could look at Sans properly, almost too mortified to do so. Sans had a sly smile on his face.

"i've taken a picture already," Sans finally stated, holding up his phone. Asriel felt his entire face turning red. Before he could even rush forward to snatch the phone out of Sans's hand, Frisk seemed to almost _teleport_ and lunge for the phone. Sans didn't know Frisk could move that fast.

"uh-uhm k-kiddo! w-wait!" Sans took a few steps back, phone still in hand. "it's a joke." Sans had his smile on again. Frisk relaxed and poked at Sans angrily, poking at nothing but the empty space left by his skeleton.

"nice to see both of you that way, you know?" Sans said in his low voice, "but it's dinner time now." He winked at them and turned to go back to the house. They could hear him chuckling as he walked away. Frisk held his head down, waiting for Asriel.

 _Well,_ Asriel thought as he walked up to Frisk. He lifted Frisk's face and leaned in to place a kiss on Frisk's lips. Frisk looked at Asriel, with wide eyes, and he felt dizzy from being this close to Asriel. He could hear his own heartbeats and his cheeks heating up quickly. As their lips parted, Frisk felt a sort of warmth run through him, soft like Asriel's fur almost. He looked at Asriel, who stood just inches away from him. Asriel grinned back at him.

"Mom's going to be waiting for us," Asriel spoke, his blue eyes glittering playfully. Frisk nodded and started dashing back to the house, running through the warm sunlight and yellow flowers.

"Last one there-" Frisk shouted as he looked back to Asriel, who started running as well.

"Will be doing all of our homework!" Asriel finished the statement and the two of them raced for the house that sat amongst the field of golden flowers, looking over the sea. Under the expansive blue skies, their world was coming together.

* * *

Well... I really do hope you're alright with how this story is unfolding... Thank you for reading! And please, if you do want to make a comment or anything please feel free to do so! Thanks!


	17. Chapter 16 - Overworld Start?

HELLO EVERYONE! It's been so long! And I'm so sorry to have taken so long to come up with a short... chapter... I'm really sorry... School has not been merciful to me. I've been stuck under work and more work... I don't have much time to do anything nowadays... Thank God for some holidays! But I'm so glad that people are still reading this! Thank you so much! And all your reviews have always helped me write more! Honestly, all of you are amazing people for being able to wait for the next chapter... But before we begin...

Q & A Session with the Characters and Author

Q: Wait WAIT A MOMENTO, Asriel and Frisk are... BROTHERS?! AND. AND THEY LOVE EACH OTHER. WHAT. (Tbh even i sort of freaked myself out for this)

Asriel: Well, w-we don't love- _love_ each other, it's more because we're connected by souls and actually have a much deeper bond than just that. It's even more than just love, and... the only way the author thought he could portray this... was... something slightly romantic.

Frisk: And it's not actually incest because-

Asriel: We're not really brothers, he's adopted.

Frisk: But I still do love him.

Asriel: He means brotherly love.

Frisk: Maybe.

Asriel: *blushes*

Q: Where the hell is Chara?

No Comment.

Q: How many chapters will this have?

To be honest, I want to write this as much as I want to, perhaps forever. But the real question is whether or not I will have IDEAS to continue this. That... I don't know. So. Yeah.

Q: Sans x Toriel?

Toriel: Sans, what does the x mean?

Sans: o-oh, it's nothing, tori.

Toriel: Really?

Sans: y-yeah

Toriel: Wait hold up I just searched up "Sans x Toriel."

Sans: *Smacks phone out of Toriel's hand*

Toriel: Sans?

Sans: i-i was wondering if you wanted to go grab some snails with me

Toriel: Is that why you smacked the phone out of my hand?

Sans: yes

Toriel: *laughs*

I'd really love to put them together. But Asgore. I can't leave Goatdad out. So... *Cries*

End of Q & A

Do please enjoy this chapter! Thanks for waiting!

* * *

 **Chapter 16 – Overworld... Start?**

Toriel sat at her large desk, looking through a few documents about the new students. Four months had passed since the school was built, and the number of humans and monsters enrolling increased exponentially each day. She took off her glasses and turned from her desk to the window, looking at the flower garden that surrounded the school's perimeter. Asgore never failed to take care of them every day. She stood up from her chair and stood there for a minute, admiring the view. The fact that she and her family could enjoy it all forever—it did made her glad. She returned to her work, checking document after document, moving from one pile of papers stacked on her desk to the next. She didn't notice a paper flutter out of her grasp and make its way across the spacious room. A photograph of a smiling child was on the paper, wearing a sweater with a single stripe across it. Toriel would have recognized the child.

Back in the Dreemurr household, on a lazy afternoon, Asriel and Frisk loafed around, not exactly doing anything. They were taking a break, just as Sans would. A warm breeze drifted in through the open windows, and the refreshing scent of the sea wafted in as well. The two of them occupied the couch, Asriel on one end and Frisk on the other. Both of them lay still, smiling lazily with their eyes shut.

"Where's Mom..?" Frisk asked, stretching his legs. Asriel shook Frisk's legs off and shifted his position, trying to achieve maximum comfort.

"School… Stuff to do…" Asriel muttered as he lay still, having adjusted himself very comfortably. Frisk groaned.

"Dad?" Frisk asked once more, his voice muffled by the couch's armrest. Asriel lifted a hand and pointed in the general direction of the school. Frisk sighed softly.

"I'm hungry…" Frisk groaned out, and Asriel didn't answer. They had to be alone at home most of the time. Sans was rarely at home these days for some reason, which he described as "nothing suspicious at all yep nope nothing suspicious" and Papyrus was a celebrity, he was always busy. A rumbling noise sounded from the two children. Asriel didn't want to get up from the soft and cozy couch. He wished he could just sleep and live on it forever and ever.

"Do you think Mom could have leftr some pie for us?" Asriel murmured, his eyes still closed, trying to fall asleep.

"I'm sure Dad devoured it," Frisk answered back, and both of them knew that was probably what had happened. No one could stop Asgore from consuming Toriel's pies so quickly. Asriel wished food would be delivered to them somehow. The two of them fell silent and listened to each other's stomach growl in hunger.

The doorbell rang suddenly. Asriel kicked at Frisk. Frisk curled himself up and ignored everything. The doorbell rang once more. Asriel stood up irritatedly and walked to the door. He ran his hand through his fur to make sure he wasn't looking like he spent his entire day lying down. Asriel pulled the door open and almost went from the sunlight hitting his face directly.

"H-Hello…" A child stated softly, standing in front of him, looking at him with rather fearful green eyes. Asriel looked at the child with curiosity. It wasn't an everyday thing that the Dreemurrs received human guests.

"I-I'm… Clara…" She introduced herself shyly. Her dark brown hair fluttered gently in the wind. She clutched at her forehead suddenly, as if she didn't want her bangs to move from the wind. Asriel smiled and held his hand out to her.

"Howdy, Clara!" Asriel greeted, "I'm Asriel!" Clara held Asriel's hand slowly and averted her eyes. Asriel noticed the shirt she was wearing suddenly. A single black stripe ran across the shirt. Asriel brushed the thought away and decided to focus on what Clara was saying.

"I… I just moved here, and m-my brother thought we should introduce ourselves to our neighbors…" Clara stammered, and she quickly slid her bag off of her shoulders and rummaged through it. After a minute of searching, she held out a little box to Asriel.

"I-I made c-cookies…" Clara muttered, looking down at the ground. Asriel accepted the little box and looked curiously at the girl in front of him. She glanced at him and quickly looked away again. Asriel felt a sudden twinge in his chest.

"Oh-uh… Th-Thanks!" Asriel replied, his cheeks flushed and he tried to avoid those bright green eyes the girl had. Clara hoisted her bag on her shoulders.

"W-Well... It was nice to meet you, Asriel," Clara spoke sweetly and made a small smile on her face. She turned and walked away slowly. She faced Asriel for a moment. "Bye, Asriel…" She made a slight wave and Asriel waved back at her. He watched her leave and closed the door. He crashed right into Frisk.

"Frisk!" Asriel shouted, irritated. Frisk made a sheepish grin and held the box in his hands. Asriel didn't even try to take it back from him. Frisk opened the box and looked at the content of the box. The smile faded slowly.

"Asriel," Frisk spoke, "Who was that?" Frisk looked at Asriel with a serious glint in his eyes. Asriel tilted his head in curiosity. Was there something wrong with the cookies?

"Clara, our new neighbor," Asriel answered, "She just moved in with her brother, I think… Is there something wrong?" Asriel reached for the box Frisk was holding. He looked at the content and dropped the box.

"How…?" Frisk asked slowly, staring at the cookies in disbelief. Asriel too didn't quite know what this was. The two children stared at the cookies. All of them were baked in the shape of Flowey's faces, in different expressions ranging from his winks, smiles, and rather demonic grins. Was it possible for another human to know about it…?

"Asriel…" Frisk asked after staring at them. Asriel felt a million thoughts going past in his mind.

"Yeah?" Asriel asked, wondering if Frisk had the same questions and thoughts going through his mind.

"Do you think we can still eat these?" Frisk had asked a question Asriel didn't expect. Asriel looked at him and he heard their stomachs growling once more, announcing the hunger he had forgotten temporarily.

* * *

"NGAHHH!" Undyne screamed in fury, throwing an energy spear at the wall in front of her. She couldn't believe this injustice, this absolutely preposterous thing that simply infuriated her beyond all things. Alphys rushed into the room, breathless from running all the way from her lab to the room.

"U-Undyne! What is it?!" Alphys asked, taking deep breaths. Even though her lab was literally a corridor away and in the same house, her lack of physical exertion had left her in this state. Undyne looked at Alphys with eyes filled with tears and anger.

"THERE ISN'T A SECOND SEASON TO THIS ANIME!" Undyne roared in fury and threw another energy spear at the wall. Alphys wondered if she should provide a dartboard for Undyne, if she continued to throw spears at a wall. Alphys looked at the wide-screen television in front of Undyne. This anime did have a princess wielding a large flaming sword to fight her foes, and the romantic development that happened within thirteen episodes was a great one as well.

"WHERE IS THE SECOND SEASON?!" Undyne shouted, holding Alphys's lab coat and shaking her. Alphys too longed for the second season, to know more about the main character and his girlfriend who was a princess. She smiled at Undyne.

"It's coming soon, Undyne," Alphys muttered. She looked around Undyne's room and a stack of papers on Undyne's desk caught her eye. She trudged over and picked a few sheets of paper. She sifted through them and read a few of them.

"Those are the list of new students coming to the school," Undyne stated as she searched lazily for another anime to watch, browsing the channels on her televisions. Alphys scanned each document quickly and suddenly stopped at a particular paper.

"Huh?" Alphys uttered, recognizing the picture. It was a picture of a girl with dark brown hair and piercing green eyes. Her name was Clara. There seemed to be a faint smudge on her name, almost unnoticeable, as it was a copy, not the original document. Alphys couldn't quite put a finger on what she thought of this.

"Yo, Alphys," Undyne called, bringing her back to her mind. Alphys placed the paper on the stack of papers and turned to Undyne.

"You okay? You were zoning out for a good minute," Undyne stated, still looking through the channels for an anime to watch.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Alphys answered, "Hope you find something to watch soon." She smiled at Undyne and exited, as she still had some work left.

"Don't work yourself too much, Alph," Undyne called back, as the door slowly closed behind Alphys.

* * *

"You know, that actually tasted great," Asriel stated as he licked the crumbs off of his thumb. Frisk looked at the empty box remorsefully. The cookies were great, and the fact that Flowey's each and every face was being destroyed was even better.

"Clara…" Frisk muttered curiously. He didn't really like whoever this girl was. He looked cautiously at Asriel, slightly worried that his too-amiable brother would get himself in a pinch because of this.

"She seemed like a nice girl," Asriel declared and picked up a book from the coffee table in ront of them. It was their mother's book, the one about snails. Toriel's undying love for snails would probably go on forever.

They heard the door unlock and dashed to the door, large smiles on their faces. The two of them pushed and shoved each other to stand right in front of the door, to be able to receive the hugs first.

"Children!" Toriel shouted, her voice brimming with joy as she gathered the two Dreemurrs in her arms and held them. Asgore smiled to watch them and soon hugged them afterwards. In the middle of this hugfest, someone coughed and cleared his throat.

"am i ruining something?" Sans asked, as he stood behind the Dreemurrs. He had a thick winter coat on in the middle of summer and a white sweater underneath that. Asriel wondered why he would do that. But then again, skeletons don't sweat anyways. He also noticed a white beanie on his head.

"Sans!" Frisk shouted and lunged for the skeleton, arms wide open. Restrained by Frisk, Sans gave everyone a small wave. Asriel liked having Sans around. To him, Sans was like an uncle and a friend he could rely on anytime.

"kiddo, you can let go now," Sans stated, and Frisk released the skeleton and smiled up at him. "my brother should be here anytime now…" And just as he said that, a familiar laugh sounded nearby. Something white flashed through the air and flew towards them.

"NYEH-HEH-HEH!" Papyrus laughed as he landed just beside Sans, clad in his usual "battle armor." He didn't seem to have noticed the smudge of lipstick on his face. Asriel and Frisk looked at it intently and had an idea as to who would have kissed Papyrus. Sans's face froze.

"IT IS I! THE GREAT AND TRULY MAJESTIC PAPYRUS!" Papyrus declared pompously and struck a very familiar pose. Toriel and Asgore's eyes widened. Frisk was laughing. Asriel looked at Sans, who looked back at him with an expression filled with mortification.

"bro… were you with mettaton before you came here…?" Sans asked, his eyes glowing a neon blue. Papyrus flinched and quickly looked away. He cleared his throat and touched his cheek. The air grew significantly colder.

"Well! Now that we're all here, why don't we go inside for a cup of tea?" Asgore asked, trying his very best to change topics. Toriel nodded fervently and quickly dragged Asgore to the kitchen, knowing full well that their children were the best at solving conflicts.

"S-Sans! It's not what you think!" Papyrus tried to reason, but Sans wasn't having any of that. He lifted his hand and summoned a ring of bones around Papyrus. His eyes glowed brightly even in daylight.

"Sans! It was part of the performance!" Papyrus shouted, shattering the bones around him. Frisk and Asriel watched the two of them and tried to hope for the best. Unfortunately that wasn't going to happen. Papyrus seemed to have snapped by then. Bones started to appear magically positioned to strike each other. Just as they were about to hit each other, a sudden blast of flames erupted between them. Frisk and Asriel backed off quickly.

"There shouldn't be any fighting in this house," Toriel stated clearly, "Sans, if you would close the door and enter, please." She gave a cold glare in Sans and Papyrus's direction and went about to set the teacups and saucers. Asgore gave an apologetic look. Sans stared at Toriel, dazed. Papyrus seemed relieved almost.

 _There's our mom for you,_ Asriel thought, and Frisk nodded at that. No one could really disobey their mother, could they?

As they sipped their tea and munched on some pastries, everyone listened intently to what Papyrus had to say. In a nutshell, Mettaton had invited Papyrus to one of his concerts as a guest star. The concert had been a major hit, and the duet he sang with Mettaton was fantastic—according to Papyrus—but the audience needed something more. Recently, a Mettaton's fanclub had been obsessed over shipping Mettaton and Papyrus. Mettaton had already looked into all of it, all the fancomics, the fanfictions, and fan-everything-on-the-Internet. Papyrus described it as "flattering and adorable," but Sans seemed to be grimacing.

"And by the end of the concert, the audience were all chanting a single word," Papyrus said, as he looked into the teacup he was holding. "They were all telling us to kiss." Color flooded his cheeks and he didn't even try to look up from his cup.

"And then Mettaton kissed you on the cheek?" Toriel asked, a gentle smile on her face. Asgore was sipping his tea with his eyes closed. Sans looked blankly at a pastry in his hand.

"W-Well… Yes…" Papyrus replied and set the teacup on the table. He looked at Sans. "Brother, did I do something wrong?" His voice seemed to have grabbed Sans's attention.

"n-no… well…. no," Sans murmured, "it's just… i'm just worried about you, bro." Sans smiled up at his brother awkwardly. He took a bite out of the pastry.

"That this might not end well?" Papyrus asked, and Sans nodded sheepishly. Papyrus laughed. "Me? The Almighty Papyrus? Brother, you need not worry! I will be perfectly fine!" Sans chuckled and continued eating the pastry.

"Now that that's out of the way," Toriel stated, setting her teacup on the saucer in her hand. Her eyes glinted playfully. She flipped out her phone and started tapping letters and words. San's phone vibrated. He read something and started to laugh loudly.

"And there they go again, being dorks," Papyrus spoke softly to Frisk and Asriel. Papyrus was smiling, watching his brother smiling into his cellphone's screen. Toriel was trying her best to laugh quietly. Asgore didn't seem too comfortable with what was happening.

"Daddy!" Asriel shouted as he jumped into Asgore's lap. "We have new neighbors." Asriel spoke and Asgore looked at his son with a large, warm smile. At the word "neighbors," his eyes glinted with warmth.

"Well then, I suppose we ought to have tea with them," Asgore told his sons who simply looked at him incredulously. Since when did young kids ever have tea? They really hoped their father could stick to the times soon.

"papyrus are you going to make spaghetti again?" Sans asked, his voice brimming with the usual sense of humor. Toriel had a big smile on her face.

"Yes, Sans," Papyrus replied, expecting the worst. He had pulled on his apron that said, "Please Don't Noogie the Skeleton" on the front. Asriel presumed Undyne had bought that for Papyrus.

"well bro, you _cannoli_ make so much pasta in so little thyme," Sans declared, laughing immediately after saying that. Toriel howled with laughter as well, collapsing on Sans's shoulder. Papyrus's eyes glowered a fiery orange and he simply marched off into the kitchen.

"Oh Sans, you are such a silly bonehead!" Toriel managed to say before falling into another round of laughter as Sans gave a wink. Asgore could only smile at the sight of it all. And amidst all the noise, there was a knock on the door. Asriel and Frisk quickly skittered off to the door and opened it.

"H-Hey guys!" Alphys stood before them, out of breath and her face flushed from running. She still had her lab coat on. Beside her stood a rather annoyed Undyne who brightened up at the sight of the children.

"Ah! My favorite students!" Undyne shouted as she gave each of them a high-five. The two of them entered as Asriel quickly shut the door. Undyne tried to sneak up on Asgore with a large energy spear in hand.

"Undyne! How great it is to see you!" Asgore rose from his seat and flicked the energy spear from Undyne's hand in a flash. His jovial smile was still on his face. Undyne stood there, frozen in shock. Asriel and Frisk watched this unfold, never expecting their own father to be that amazing.

"And I thought you'd want to get your butt kicked again," Undyne muttered as she bowed slightly and took a seat on the couch. Alphys walked slowly towards Undyne and sat beside her. She coughed awkwardly. The children scampered to their father and sat on his shoulders.

"Uh-Uhm…" Alphys croaked, "N-Nice weather we're having today?" She tried to smile and everyone else nodded in agreement. Asriel looked at Frisk, knowing that there was something that bothered Alphys.

"I found something interesting from my recent researches," Alphys stated as she quietly took out a large envelope from the inside pocket of her coat. "I've found someone." She opened her envelope and dumped the contents on the table.

She picked up a photograph and showed it to the others. Asgore's smile vanished immediately. Asriel and Frisk couldn't believe it. Undyne didn't quite understand what was happening.

"This cannot be," Asgore muttered as he looked at the picture in disbelief. He grabbed the photo away from Alphys with trembling hands. Asriel finally realized it. He finally understood what it was.

"Children! Asgore! Dinner's ready!" Toriel shouted as she rushed into the living room. Upon seeing Undyne and Alphys, she smiled at them joyfully. "Undyne! Alphys! How nice of you to join us for dinner!" She approached Asgore and wondered what he was holding in his hands.

"Gorey, what photograph-" Toriel's sentence broke off, and she stood there looking down at what Asgore held in his hands. Asriel and Frisk tried to catch their parents' attention, tugging at them and pinching them.

"Mom!" Asriel shouted, pulling at Toriel's blouse. No response at all.

"Dad!" Frisk screamed into Asgore's ear. He pulled at Asgore's hair. No response either.

"I-I'm sorry, Frisk, Asriel," Alphys murmured, "I shouldn't have come here with this." She looked apologetically at them and looked down at the ground. Undyne sat still, silent as a statue.

"Hey, hey, hey!" Papyrus declared as he too marched in, "I thought we're having dinner?" Sans too followed behind him, wondering what was happening.

"Oh, Undyne! Alphys!" Papyrus shouted, "Are you both here to taste the Great and Almighty Papyrus's pasta?" He smirked at everyone and faced a lack of response.

"that really pasta over them, didn't it?" Sans stated, not expecting the lack of response from Toriel. He trudged up to Toriel and nudged her.

"toriel?" Sans waved a hand in front of her. He tried to see what she was staring at. A photograph of a girl? He looked at Asriel and Frisk, who were still trying to get their parents to snap out of it all.

And all of a sudden, there was another knock at the door.

 _Frisk… It can't be Clara, right?_ Asriel thought to Frisk, slightly nervous. There was something very strange about all this.

 _Who knows, Asriel,_ Frisk replied.

"I hope this is finally someone who would appreciate my pasta," Papyrus muttered as he walked to the door, about to open the door.

"NO!" Sans shouted, a wall of stark white bones sprouting magically in front of the door. Papyrus stopped in time, thankfully. The knocks on the door started again, each knock louder and faster than before. There was a muffled scream from outside.

"Well now, that must be some impatient human," Papyrus muttered, walking away from the door. The wall of bones vanished from the door, and Frisk slowly crept to the door.

"I guess we should at least let our guest in?" Frisk asked as he held the door handle in his hand. Sans gave a nod of approval. The door creaked open.

"Oh Frisk!" A girl's voice chirped, "I almost thought no one was home!" The girl stepped into the house in her usual clothes—a single-striped sweater and a pair of shorts. She was about as tall as Frisk. Her eyes were a dark brown.

"H-Hey Clara," Asriel greeted, still feeling the strange sense of familiarity around her. Where had he seen her? Clara gave a smirk.

"Asriel…." Clara murmured, her voice dropping a few octaves. "And… Our beautiful parents."

Asriel felt his mind go icy cold from hearing that. This voice. He remembered now. It couldn't be, could it?

"Ch…Chara?" Asriel whispered, looking at the child standing in front of Frisk once more. The girl smiled wickedly at him and her eyes glinted a dark red, the color Chara always loved.

"It's been a while, dear Brother," Clara declared, her voice sounding both the same and slightly lower at the same time. She no longer had the sweet, child-like countenance. There was something more horrendous about her. Something entirely, purely malicious.

"And of course, you disgusting monsters," Clara continued, ending with a maniacal laughter that echoed through the house, the laughter Asriel never forgot—Chara's very own laughter.

* * *

Thanks for reading and waiting. Seriously, I know I'm really bad with the updating and all... I'm so sorry... But I can't really do anything about it... I'm still a student :( But I hope you still look forward to it, and please feel free to leave a review and all, I will gladly reply back! Thanks!


	18. Chapter 17 - Alive and Gone

Hey guys! First of all, I'm so so so sorry for such a late update... School has been merciless to me... :( Also, writing this chapter took me quite a while too... I kept losing my train of thought and so it took me a bit of time to write this one. Other than that, I must say I'm really thankful for everyone who's read this fanfic. Thank you for leaving such nice reviews (except maybe for that one or two people who just... idk let's not name names, _anonymous haters_ *squints eyes*). Thank you for continuing to read this fanfic, and thank you for simply just taking a look at it. I honestly don't know how this fanfic managed to get so many views and all. Thank you so much. It means a lot to me seriously. Now then before the story...

* * *

 ***Q & A SESSION***

 **Q: Where did the name "Clara" come from?**

A: Well... Chara... Clara? I mean I just kind of... Yeah... ._. (what a horrible answer)

 **Q: Frisk and Asriel are BROTHERS. WHY ARE YOU PUTTING THEM TOGETHER?**

A: Besides the fact that I actually like to see them together, I don't really have a valid reason... And I mean they're adopted... Can't we be a bit lenient on that...? Of course, if a majority of you really don't like it, then please do tell me that... :(

 **Q: Thought of adding this to Archive of our Own?**

A: Nah

 **Q: Why sacrifice Frisk when you didn't have to? In the game, you saved Asriel Dreemurr already, so why was it necessary for Frisk to sacrifice part of his soul and Gerson as well?**

A: Asriel was dead to begin with - meaning he has no soul at all. In the game, he managed to return to his form by taking all the monster's souls. And after we beat him, he uses these souls to destroy the barrier. And in the end, he ends up with no soul again. (No, the fact that monster souls can persist does not apply here because he has NO soul) So in order for Asriel to live, Frisk gives half of his soul to Asriel, and Gerson gives one-half to Frisk, and the other to Asriel, so that both Asriel and Frisk can live. I hope that suffices.

 **Q: Is the love (between Frisk and Asriel) romantic or platonic?**

A: I dunno, what do you want it to be? *winks*

As always, I hope you enjoy this long-awaited chapter!

* * *

 **Chapter 17 – Alive and Gone**

The human girl didn't seem so charming or cute or even appeared as a girl to Asriel anymore. All he saw was the very picture of his long-dead stepbrother. The first human who fell into the Monster's world because he hated humans—Chara.

"It's been so long, hasn't it?" Chara stated, his voice echoing in two varying pitches. Asgore and Toriel stood up and glared at Chara with pure hatred. Of course they would remember it all.

"Who is she?" Papyrus asked, quickly turning away from Chara and making a slightly sheepish face. Sans smirked and looked at Toriel, who simply laughed. Asgore held his hand out, his weapon materializing out of thin air.

"The real monster," Toriel answered, her eyes focused on the grinning face of the brown-haired human in front of them all, standing in the door way with his hands behind his back, his head in a slight tilt, feigning innocence. Asriel could sense an overwhelming sense of absolute contempt from Chara. Frisk simply looked in horror and tried to take a few steps back.

"Oh, Mother!" Chara shouted with a cunning smile, his eyes glowing red. "You loved me, didn't you?" He took a step forward. A pillar of flames erupted right in front of him, singeing a strand of his hair. He didn't flinch or blink. His smiling eyes seemed to regard everyone with a sense of pure abhorrence.

"No one ever loved you, Chara," Asgore answered, his deep voice devoid of all warmth and mercy. "I doubt anyone would." Asriel slowly made his way to Frisk, trying to find a safer place to watch all this unfold. Chara started laughing maniacally.

"My dear parents! Both of you are so nice, making me laugh in such a long time!" Chara exclaimed, "Both of you are so pathetic." His voice dropped several octaves, sending shivers down Asriel's spine.

"And you…" Chara turned to Sans, his smile still pasted on his face. "Oh? One of Gaster's? You as well?" Chara's smile widened. Sans's face changed slightly from this comment. Papyrus too dropped his friendly and innocent façade.

"Don't you dare," Papyrus growled, his voice dangerously soft. The air grew noticeably colder, and only Chara stood there smiling. The girl named Clara was not standing there anymore. Asriel felt as though he remembered something about Chara.

"Shouldn't you be a bit happy that I've returned?" Chara asked, "You even buried me in that cursed place, didn't you?" Chara pointed downwards, and Toriel seemed shocked. Then Asriel remembered.

"You… That's your sister's body, isn't it?" Asriel asked, afraid of the very words he had uttered. Chara grinned smugly and nodded. He stretched his arms upwards and seemed very comfortable. Toriel and Asgore looked on with growing horror as the absolute monster of a child stood before them with scarlet eyes.

"You monster," Frisk finally stated, his voice quivering with fear. His brown eyes held not a single shred of sympathy or kindness, only wrath and anger towards the human in front of him standing in the doorway.

"Oh Frisk, surely you can't be saying that to me?" Chara smirked wolfishly and tossed his hair to the side. He reached into his pocket and fished out a photograph. It seemed very familiar. Chara proudly showed it to everyone.

"Do you see this?" Chara announced, "This was supposed to have happened." It was a photograph of Frisk, all by himself, holding a knife stained with blood and dust. Frisk froze, his lips taut with fear. Asriel quickly jumped in front of Frisk and held him tightly.

"Don't look at it, Frisk!" Asriel shouted and tried to block the photograph out of Frisk's sight. Frisk only seemed to tremble in Asriel's hold, but he did not utter even a noise. Asriel glared at Chara, whose red eyes calculated every move he made.

"Clara still remembered me, you know?" Chara stated, his voice overlapped with a girl's. His voice faltered and his entire frame fell slack. Everyone watched the child turn limp for a moment, like a lifeless doll.

"P-Please! I-If you could help…" A girl's voice sounded weakly from Chara. _Perhaps Clara wasn't possessed entirely by Chara? She's… Fighting back?_ Asriel thought, looking at Frisk, who was sitting on the floor, a blank look on his face from the shock.

"Clara!" Asriel shouted, "Don't let Chara take over!" And with that, Clara's body collapsed, letting loose a rather horrific laughter made up of hatred and contempt. Chara seemed to have taken control again.

"That sister of mine is just like me—strong-headed and determined," Chara muttered and nodded, as if he approved of that in some strange way. Asriel tried to think of a way to save the poor girl. There was no way he could let her die just because of this monstrous child named Chara.

"Why are you here again?" Toriel finally asked, orbs of flame floating around her in various shades. Chara's expression softened to something plaintively sad. Asgore readied his spear, his face frozen in determination.

"To get my revenge, of course," Chara stated simply, and slid a sharp dagger from his back. The knife glinted in front of them, casting a little spot of light on Chara's face. Chara took a small step forward from where he stood. He was immediately stopped by the point of Asgore's trident.

"P-Please don't hurt me, mister…" Clara's voice cried out weakly, and Asgore lowered his trident, eyes widening. He didn't have the heart to kill an innocent human child.

"Hold my hand, child," Asgore stated, "I will make this swift and easy for you." He reached his hand out for Clara, who started to sob with a dagger in hand. She looked up to Asgore with tear-filled eyes.

"Idiot," Chara's voice had returned, and a sickening squelch was heard as the dagger buried itself in Asgore's arm. Toriel screamed in fury and unleashed a shower of fire upon the wretched child.

"All of you are idiots," Chara sneered as he dodged every attack swiftly. How Clara's body managed to keep that up, Asriel had absolutely no clue. Toriel's attacks continued, and Sans tried to assist with his own attacks. Papyrus was already by Asgore's side, healing Asgore's arm. Asriel stood by Frisk, who still lay unconscious behind the couch. He had to protect Frisk somehow. If only he too could use magic just like his parents.

"Oh dear," Chara muttered beside Asriel, looking at the other human child. Tossing his long hair back, he smirked triumphantly and slowly reached for Frisk's head. Asriel was about to move, only to find the sharp point of a dagger at his face. He froze up and looked into a face distorted with anger.

"Think wisely before making a single step," Chara stated primly and crouched to take a better look at Frisk. He held Frisk's head with one hand and examined him carefully, as if he were scrutinizing every part of him.

"Wh-What do you think you're doing?" Asriel asked Chara, having a bad feeling about it all. Chara glanced back with a sweet smile. He didn't notice what Sans was doing. With a sudden motion from Sans, Chara's body was thrown upwards, hurtling to the ceiling. The small body fell back down lifelessly.

"Did we get him?" Papyrus asked, watching the body on the ground. Toriel and Asgore watched resolutely. Asriel was beside Frisk, ready to protect his brother from anything.

"He's not dead," Alphys finally spoke, her voice quivering. Her entire body was trembling, and Undyne was still holding her still. Undyne had a pained expression on her face. Alphys released herself from Undyne's hold and stepped closer to where Asriel and Frisk were.

"Frisk should be fine, he's in a bit of shock," Alphys crouched beside Asriel and watched Chara. "This one, he's going to wake up very soon." Undyne trudged beside Alphys and summoned an energy spear.

"Wait!" Asriel shouted, "What about Clara?!" He couldn't help but want to save the girl. Alphys sighed softly and looked at Asriel. Everyone fell silent at this point.

"We can't bring her back, Asriel," Alphys muttered, "Chara's taken over her body. There's no way we can kill Chara and save her at the same time. It's either they die or they don't die. I think it's safe to say that we need them to be dead, don't we…?" Undyne grunted her approval at this and lifted her spear.

"It's not fair!" Asriel shouted, and he dove to Clara's body. "She never asked to be possessed, did she?" Alphys couldn't say anything. She glanced at Undyne.

"As Asgore's son, you really are just like him," Undyne stated, "A total loser with a big heart." Asriel held the girl's hand delicately and tried to think of a way to save her. Was there really no way to do so? Asriel looked back at Frisk. _Frisk would have found a way to do something, right? Why can't I?_

"A-Asriel…?" A voice called out weakly. "Wh-Where's Clara…?" Frisk had finally awakened and he slowly opened his eyes. Toriel held out a hand to Frisk, who grabbed it. The two of them made their way to Asriel.

"Is she dead…?" Frisk asked in his soft voice. Asriel shook his head and tightened his grip on the girl's hand. _Why did you come back to us, Chara?_ He thought. All of them had gathered a in a large circle around the fallen child, and they wondered about what they would do with the child.

"Can we at least let her wake up first?" Asriel asked, looking at Alphys. She looked back at him hesitantly and finally nodded. Undyne promptly tied her up, just in case she woke up to be Chara again. And for a few minutes they waited, wondering what would happen next.

"Mmph…" The child groaned, and eyes fluttering open. "A-Asriel…?" The girl tried to move, but she found herself in a bind. She looked around and widened her eyes at Frisk, who stared back at her.

"Wh-Why am I… Clara?" The child tried to speak, but a boy's voice came from her. Her pupils shook with fear. Asriel noticed something strange. Her eyes were not red, nor were they green as usual. They were dark brown in color. He quickly looked at Frisk. His eyes were red.

"It seems…" Frisk murmured, "That I have been found out once again." Frisk beamed at everyone. Asriel tackled Frisk and held onto Frisk's arms tightly. Toriel helped to hold Frisk down on the ground, and Sans summoned forth a few bones to hold him in place.

"You shan't contain me, you disgusting monsters!" Chara—who was in Frisk now—shouted, struggling with all his might to break free. Thankfully, Frisk wasn't the strongest human out there in the world for them. Asriel stood up and trudged away from Chara.

"We're definitely not killing him now," Asriel stated, looking at Alphys and Undyne. Frisk—or Chara—had calmed down and sat there in restraints. He smiled at everyone with the widest smile set on Frisk's face. Asriel didn't like this.

"Get out of there," Asriel snarled, looking straight into the red eyes of Chara. Evidently such statements were never going to work. He felt a hand on his shoulder. Frisk—now in Clara's body—stood there with him.

"I'm sure there's a way to force him out of there," Frisk stated, always hoping for the best. Asriel nodded slightly and tried his best not to lunge at Chara for all this. Everyone else felt the same way. They so badly wished to destroy this demoniacal child who came to pay a visit from the afterlife.

"And how would you do that?" Chara trilled, "None of you know how to do this, do you? Maybe I'll just live like this forever!" Chara's laughter rang through the house like a rush of cold water that slapped everyone's faces.

"You bastard…" Undyne growled, her face turning a slight red. Alphys held tightly to Undyne's spear arm, doing her best. Asgore stood there stoically, his face an ashen gray as he watched the laughing child. Trident in hand, he seemed ready to strike at any moment. Toriel and Sans were discussing various things with each other, trying to figure out a way to undo all this. Papyrus managed to smile at the children, despite all that had happened.

"Don't you dare think you've done some good to this world, Dreemurr," Chara spat those words, and Asriel turned to look at Frisk's smiling face on the ground. Only that this wasn't Frisk who wasn't smiling.

"Flowey," Chara sneered and started howling with laughter once more. Asriel felt rage flow through him and he jumped on top of Chara. He raised his clenched fist up in the air. He stared into the face of Frisk and faltered. He lowered his fist slowly.

"And that's exactly why you fail—you're too nice," Chara muttered and chuckled softly. Asriel took a breath and swiftly slapped Chara's face, making the most refreshing sound that evening—the sound of an open palm meeting a soft cheek.

"And that's exactly why you died—you're pure scum," Asriel grinned and quickly stood up, his looking down upon the fallen child. Frisk was also smiling at this point even though his face was slapped.

Hearing this, Sans burst into laughter, which only elicited more screams and shouts from Chara. Sans managed to compose himself and mutter a few words to Toriel and Asgore, who also laughed a little. Asgore seemed to lighten up a little too.

"By the way," Papyrus piped up suddenly, "if Chara has taken over the body of Clara before, and since we know that he has been in that body for quite a while… And now Clara is nonexistent… That means…" Papyrus glanced elsewhere for a while, as if he didn't quite know how to phrase his next sentence.

"That means Frisk's body would be Chara's forever?!" Undyne shouted, burying her spear into the ground. Alphys's eyes widened at this—either she was surprised by Undyne's sudden flash of intelligence or the fact that Frisk would never be Frisk—and so did Toriel's, along with Sans's.

"Wow, that skeleton can actually think," Chara muttered, earning a death glare from Sans. A trident flew past Asriel's face and landed right beside Chara's face with a loud thud. Chara didn't flinch. He still had his smug look on his face.

"Return my son's body," Asgore ordered, his eyes glinting blue and orange. Asriel felt a hand wrapped around his arm, finding Frisk trembling beside him. _Is he scared?_ Asriel thought. There had to be a way to end this all.

"Why should I?" Chara retorted, his voice slightly shaky. _Does he want something?_ Asriel wondered, remembering how he too wanted to feel emotions again when he lived as Flowey. He looked at Frisk beside him and then to his mother, who stood a little bit away from Asgore.

"Why are you here, Chara?" Frisk's voice broke through the frigid atmosphere. "None of us called out to you." Asriel felt a little puzzled by that statement. _Called out? Who would call out to Chara?_ He wondered.

"Didn't you, Frisk?" Chara replied coldly, "Didn't you call for me with that wretched human heart of yours?" Frisk took a step back, slightly intimidated. Noticing this, Chara laughed once more.

"That wasn't me," Frisk muttered, "and it won't be happening here." Asriel glanced around, realizing that he wasn't the only one who was confused. But it seemed as though Alphys and Sans had a good idea of what the two humans meant.

"But not if I'm here," Chara smiled widely and snapped the bones that wrapped him. Brandishing his dagger, he swiftly dashed to Papyrus. Asriel couldn't move as quickly as he wanted to, he could only watch what went was about to happen. He watched Chara bring the dagger into Papyrus's chest.

"But of course! The Mighty Papyrus shan't fall to such a wimpy attack!" Papyrus declared, standing there with Chara in his arms. The dagger did pierce Papyrus's armor, but it struck nothing, since Papyrus was a skeleton.

"But my battle armor, child," Papyrus's voice dropped dangerously low. "You dare to stab it?" Chara squeaked a piteous cry. He released the dagger and looked back at Frisk. He looked up at the ominous skull that hovered right before his face. Chara looked back at everyone, from Toriel to Asriel, even Alphys and Undyne. Papyrus's eye sockets now started to glow a bright orange.

"I-I-I'll s-stop!" Chara uttered, his face a miserable mess, just ready to cry and bawl. "I'm s-s-sorry!" _Wait what just happened?_ Asriel felt a multitude of questions being formed in his mind.

"Well you could have said that a bit earlier-" Papyrus was cut off as the dagger slashed through him, breaking his skull. Chara jumped out of Papyrus's grasp and stood there wiping his tears. Papyrus collapsed on the ground.

"Papyrus!" Undyne and Alphys shouted, absolutely shocked at what just happened. Toriel and Asgore too fell dumbstruck by that. Sans remained silent.

"That's no fun," Chara stated as he shrugged and looked at everyone. To see him do such a thing with Frisk's body—no one was going to have any more of this. Asriel couldn't just stand there anymore.

 _Asriel, I… I think I should try to get my body back._ Frisk spoke to him silently. Asriel looked back with widened eyes.

 _B-But he could kill you if you get too close!_ Asriel replied. _And how would you even switch bodies again?_ Frisk only smiled to answer him, and he tossed his long hair behind his shoulder. The smile faded slightly as Frisk watched Sans stepping forward, his face distraught with rage.

 _Okay maybe my body might end up with a few broken bones_ , Frisk spoke, a little concerned. Asriel felt a chill.

"children like you shouldn't be alive," Sans spoke grimly as he raised his hands, summoning forth his Gasterblasters. His eyes glowed a bright blue. Chara looked around leisurely to look at the Gasterblasters surrounding him.

"And how, exactly, would you hurt this body?" Chara asked, "It's your precious friend's, isn't it?" Sans snapped his fingers and the Gasterblasters shot forth beams of blue light. Asriel and Frisk both watched in terror. Chara unleashed an almost unholy scream as he was hit by the full brunt of the blast.

"don't worry kiddo," Sans grunted, "your body will be fine. my attacks damage the soul, remember?" Asriel and Frisk watched the figure fall and drop the dagger. Now was the time to strike.

"Frisk! Do you know what you need to do?" Asriel asked as he dashed to the fallen child's side with Frisk, who kneeled right beside his own body.

"I-I think I do…" Frisk muttered, a little hesitant. He sat there and held his own head in his hands. Asriel wanted to urge Frisk to hurry. He swore he saw the fingers twitching a little.

"W-Wait d-don't tell me-" Alphys shouted as she fumbled for her phone, nudging Undyne in the arm. Sans only watched with growing amusement. He was now beside Papyrus, who was no longer crumpled on the floor.

"M-My child?" Toriel asked as she watched the sight before her. Asgore couldn't say anything. Asriel could only watch, nothing more, nothing less. Clara had her lips locked with Frisk's, otherwise interpreted as Frisk kissing… Himself?

"wow that kid really knows how to kiss," Sans spoke suddenly. Toriel made a slightly annoyed expression and Asgore could only guffaw loudly.

"And here I thought Frisk was still just a child," Papyrus chimed in, and he found himself in Undyne's tight embrace.

"P-Please don't noogie the skeleton," Papyrus simpered, "I-I'm still quite fragile at this point." Sans leaned against his brother and sighed softly.

Meanwhile, the two human children had stopped their rather strange kiss. The girl lifted her head and looked at Asriel with piercing green eyes. Asriel felt a smile grow on his face.

"A-Asriel…?" Clara asked, afraid of what had occurred. Asriel grinned at her. She yelped a little as a spear barely missed her, embedding itself on the ground right beside her.

"You had better not be Chara," Undyne growled in a low voice. She had another spear in her hand. Alphys dove for Undyne and dragged her to the ground. Undyne protested loudly and tried to get Alphys off of her.

"I am sorry, human girl," Asgore spoke gently as he crouched to speak to Clara. "Would you like a cup of tea first before we have a nice talk?" Clara found herself nodding to this huge, furry creature.

"Frisk!" Asriel shouted as he tried to shake his brother awake. "Why aren't you waking up?!" Toriel trudged over and sat right beside her sons. She placed a hand on Frisk's chest.

"There's no Chara in here anymore," Toriel whispered, tears starting to flow from her eyes. "I-I was so worried." Asriel felt relief flood his mind as he watched Frisk's peaceful face. _I wonder what Chara really wanted, though_. Asriel thought. He felt something poking at his leg. It was a jet black soul. Unlike the souls he had seen in both monsters and humans, this one was small and rather dark for a soul.

"that must be that kid's soul," Sans interrupted, making Asriel jump. "i'll take it. i'm sure alphys can find a good use for it." Sans took the tiny heart from Asriel's hands and walked over to Alphys. _I guess that means Chara won't be bothering us for a while._ Asriel thought.

"A-Asriel?" Frisk croaked out, "M-Mom?" Toriel and Asriel each held Frisk's arms. Frisk found himself staring at the worried faces of his family.

"It's over now," Frisk sighed, and grinned widely. "W-Wha-" He found himself locked in the grasp his brother, and he could only smile. He caught the sight of the crumpled photograph Chara had shown him before. He looked back at Asriel. _I'm not Chara. I love everyone here. And we're going to live our lives together._ With that, he grinned once more and buried his face in Asriel's shoulder.

* * *

"hey alphys," Sans called out, "take a look at this." He threw the black soul piece to Alphys, who barely managed to catch it. She held it in her hand and looked at Sans.

"Wh-What am I supposed to-" Alphys stammered out, slightly fearful of what Sans had to say. She looked around cautiously for Undyne and Papyrus. They were sitting on the couch, talking loudly.

"you know what to do," Sans replied monotonously, his eye sockets completely dark. Alphys clenched her hand and shoved the soul into her lab coat pocket. Of course she knew what she was supposed to do.

"Are… Are you sure?" Alphys asked, doubtful and afraid of what might result from such a thing. Sans had already turned away from her. He only nodded. Alphys sighed softly and looked at Undyne and Papyrus, laughing together mirthfully.

* * *

"That was a wonderful story, Miss Clara," Asgore thanked Clara, "Did you like your tea?" Clara beamed at him and nodded, swinging her legs in the air as she sat in the chair. Asgore picked up the black shard from the table and looked at it carefully. He felt the presence of a rather malicious soul. It had to be Chara.

"M-Mister Asgore!" Clara spluttered, "W-Will my b-brother be in heaven?" Asgore simply looked at her with widened eyes. He mulled over the thought.

"Perhaps so," Asgore answered, trying his best not to hurt the little girl in front of him. He smiled at her and rose from his chair. They were outside in the warm evening, enjoying a bit of tea. He had heard a few stories from Clara as to who Chara was.

"Thank you, Mister Asgore," Clara chirped as she dashed off to the pavement. "I'll see you tomorrow!" She waved as she soon disappeared into the distance. Asgore waved back and turned to return to his home, holding the black soul piece. He figured he would give it to Alphys, since she knew these things better than he did. He felt a slight discomfort in his arm, but he thought nothing more of it and entered his home, back to the safety of his family and friends.

"Idiots, aren't they, Chara?" A girl's voice spoke as she stood watching the Dreemurr home from a distance. She brushed her hair back behind her ear and smirked.

"Why of course, dear Clara," The girl responded once again. She looked back at the house and started running again. She started laughing maniacally, sounding just the same as a certain fallen child.

* * *

I know this chapter didn't elaborate at all on some of the details, I promise I will in the next chapter. Because that's what I'll be writing. :)

I really hope you enjoyed this chapter as well! Please feel free to leave a review or anything, I'll be happy to reply! For the next chapter... I honestly don't plan any of these things, so... maybe it might... take a bit... but I will do my best! Thank you so much! :)


	19. Chapter 18 - Blue and Orange

Hey guys! I'm back! With a new Chapter! I tried (PLEASE I REALLY DID) to do my best and uh... This chapter... deviates from the storyline... Haha... Yeah... (SORRY) This one's dedicated to Sans and Papyrus, and I guess this is sort of my twist on whatever their back stories are. It's just my interpretation of it after reading and watching so many comics and comic dubs. I've become ultimate Undertale trash, you hear me?

Anyways, it's spring break! (GOD BLESS OMG) So I'll do my best to upload ASAP and as much as possible, since I'll be a literal shut-in and stay in my room for the rest of this week. :'D (I feel like crying) Also, thank you to those who leave reviews - both bad and good - I really appreciate them and especially all you good people out there with your words of encouragement and wisdom - I cannot thank you more really. I sometimes forget that this is my story and try to fit it with whatever my readers want... But thank you for helping me realize that this is what I write. :)

Asriel: You know it's not really fair when I'm the main character...

Frisk: Don't be so jealous, Asriel. The author just really loooves Sans.

Sans: what

Dvyitrus: U-Uhm... N-No..

Papyrus: REALLY?!

Mettaton: Author Darling, I think Papyrus and I need some of our own chapter too... *smirks and winks*

Toriel: Least it wasn't anything between Asgore and me.

Asgore: DON'T GIVE HIM IDEAS TORI

Undyne: It's okay, Alphys already has some written about everyone.

Alphys: UNDYNE!

Undyne: For example, "BoneMetal - A Papyrus and Mettaton Slash Fiction" By Alphys the Royal Scientist.

Sans: alphys u wot m8

Alphys: I-I-I didn't w-write that! *blushes*

Papyrus: Well, my brother really likes ketchup and her majesty, so author... you're in a bit of a competition between that bottle of ketchup and Toriel.

Sans: no wait

Toriel: S-Sans..?

Sans: im outta here

 **A Bit of Q and A**

 **Q: Toriel is still with Asgore, right?!**

A: Yes, I ship them that way. A bit of Sans and Toriel here and there, but overall, it's always going to be Toriel and Asgore.

 **Q: So... Clara was evil...?**

A: Yes

Anyways, I hope you enjoy this chapter! :)

* * *

 **Chapter 18 – Blue and Orange**

"Ah, so you wonder how this magnificent skeleton managed to survive?" Papyrus asked the children who stared up at him with anticipating eyes. Papyrus chuckled softly and his eye sockets flickered bright orange.

"It's all thanks to that monster," Papyrus stated, "Gaster made this happen." And suddenly the children froze, slightly horrified and yet amazed. Papyrus looked back at them with a gentle smile.

"y'know, kiddo and bucko," Sans appeared beside Papyrus and said, "sometimes things aren't always so happy." Sans grinned his goofy smile. He pulled on his turtleneck sweater's collar and tried to show something. Papyrus unfurled his scarf. Asriel did sometimes wonder if they ever felt hot. _Wait, they're skeletons. Of course not._ Asriel thought quickly.

"and some of those things can stay with you. forever," Sans finished speaking, revealing his neck, where parts of his bones were light blue, having a glacial appearance to it. The bones seemed to continue down his chest. Papyrus, on the other hand, had bones the color of fiery orange around his neck, and the ones around his collarbone seemed strangely lighter than the rest.

"There was a time when Gaster did things on us," Papyrus muttered, "Definitely not the brightest times of our lives." Papyrus grimaced a little and quickly changed his expression. He wrapped the scarf around his neck.

"And thanks to that, we don't die too easily." Papyrus ended on a somewhat happy note, trying to reassure the children that it wasn't so big of a deal. Frisk was frowning. Asriel felt something amiss.

"If Gaster's your uncle… Then what happened to your parents?" Frisk asked, having absolutely no idea of the very gravity his question held. Sans's eyes darkened and Papyrus flinched. Asriel knew that was the wrong question. He shot a glance at Frisk, who was also startled.

"kinda think that's better to talk about next time, alright?" Sans replied, he made grinned back at them emptily and trudged away, making his way to the door. Papyrus ruffled the children's heads and followed along, and the brothers left the Dreemurrs on the couch, wondering what had just occurred.

* * *

"still feels kinda cold, doesn't it?" Sans asked as he zipped his hoodie up, trying to keep himself warm even in the warm afternoon. Papyrus nodded slowly and touched his skull.

"Sans," Papyrus said, "Do you think this is still a curse?" Sans looked back at his brother wordlessly. He shook his head slightly, but he did wonder what life would be without such a thing. He felt colder than usual for some reason today. His footsteps started to slow a little.

"Sans?" Papyrus asked hurriedly and held his brother. Sans looked back at Papyrus weakly, trying his best to smile. Papyrus hoisted Sans on his back and started dashing down the road, making his way to Alphys's lab. Before losing his consciousness, Sans thought about the bottle of ketchup he left back in the Dreemurr home.

* * *

 _14 years ago…_

"P-Papyrus!" The small skeleton cried out helplessly. With his tiny frame against the cold metal bars, he stretched his arms for his brother. Tears slid from his eye sockets that glowed birght blue. It pained him to watch his brother in pain.

"I'm alright, Sans," Papyrus wheezed out, lying on the cold, concrete floor of his cell. Cracks ran across his heavily-bandaged skull, and it looked as if his skull might shatter any moment. He strained to move his head to look at Sans. A dim orange light filled his eye sockets.

"Pap… Y-Your eyes…" Sans cried, his childlike voice breaking with misery. Papyrus made a weak smile and held up a bony finger. Papyrus didn't like seeing his little brother cry. It always made him feel like a horrible older brother.

"It's okay, I can still see you, Sans," Papyrus replied, struggling to sit upright. "That's really all that matters." Sans wiped his tears and held onto the metal bars tightly. The rags he wore hung loosely from his frame, and it was clear he wasn't eating properly.

"You need to eat, Sans," Papyrus chided, "You've got big bones to help you get stronger!" A smile grew on Sans's face. Sans was just about to answer when both of them heard footsteps clacking on the hard floor. Sans quickly grew silent and made his dashed to his bed, and Papyrus's expression froze into a scowl.

"My little nephews," Gaster's voice sounded deeply, "I'm glad to see you both in the best of moods today." Gaster turned his head to look upon Sans, who sat on his cot, huddled in his thread-bare blankets. Gaster's face was just the same, white and smooth like porcelain. He too had eye sockets, and yellow light glowed within. His face had no cracks or flaws. He seemed almost perfect in his white lab coat and the

"Your brother has been such a brave _soul_ for today's experiments," Gaster murmured softly, "Are you ready for yours, little Sansie?" Sans shuddered, he definitely hated that name. He felt his stomach roiling in disgust. He hadn't even eaten anything that day. He sneaked a glance at Papyrus, who tried to encourage him with whatever eyes he had.

"Y-Yes… U-Uncle Gaster…" Sans whispered as he stood up from the bed and looked up at the towering figure of Gaster. He felt so tiny around this uncle of his.

"I hope you're not feeling too fragile today, Sansie," Gaster chuckled maliciously. As he held Sans's hand and walked out of the cell, he stopped to look at Papyrus, who had his head down on his knees.

"Ah, and there's my Papyrus," Gaster spoke, "I'm sure your eyes will get better." He laughed softly and walked down the corridor of the cells, and Sans took one last glance back at his brother.

"P-P-Pap?!" Sans cried weakly as he was dragged by Gaster. Papyrus lifted his head and felt the tears flowing from his eye sockets. He reached his hand out, but the darkness took Sans once again for the day.

"He'll pay for this, Sans," Papyrus whispered, "He most certainly will…" He felt his eye sockets closing, and soon he drifted off to a dreamless slumber. He too knew that hopes and dreams never existed in this place.

* * *

In some other part of the lab, Sans lay on a surgical table with his hands and legs restrained. The stark white lighting blinded him and he felt awfully cold for some reason. The fact that he wasn't wearing much of anything didn't help at all. Gaster stood beside him, holding a clipboard and making a few notes here and there. He was muttering things under his breath. He placed the clipboard away and retrieved a small vial from a counter. He smirked at Sans.

"Say, my little nephew," Gaster murmured softly, "Did Papyrus show you anything today?" Sans blinked up at him apprehensively. He didn't know if he should answer that or not. Most of what Gaster did to him depended on how he answered Gaster.

"N-N-No…" Sans replied, "P-Please… D-Don't…" He shut his eyes tightly and started to breathe in shallow breaths. Gaster slammed his fist down on Sans's chest, cracking a few of his ribs with a resonating sound. Sans screamed and writhed in pain and agony. He felt tears streaming down his eyes and he saw black spots dancing around the blinding light above him. He struggled in pain, but his limbs didn't move. After a few minutes, he was still in pain, but his cries subsided to whimpers.

"There now, I do love to hear your child-like cries…" Gaster whispered as he licked his lips, "But I'm sure he did show you something didn't he?" Sans shook his head desperately. His blue eyes flickered with fear as he looked at Gaster's smiling face.

"Oh well, I guess it would be a nice surprise, wouldn't it…" Gaster spoke softly as he lifted a small shard of something blue in color. It seemed to glow faintly. Gaster chuckled. Sans held his gaze on the shard that Gaster held. He thought it was actually quite pretty.

"This might hurt a bit," Gaster muttered, "But that doesn't matter, does it?" He placed the shard on Sans's sternum and placed his hand on top. With his other hand, he held a sharp dagger that seemed to have dust stuck to it. Sans noticed that Gaster's hand was heavily bandaged for some reason. He couldn't care less about that, since half of his chest was shattered moments ago. Gaster plunged the dagger down on his hand and pierced his hand, the shard, and Sans's sternum as well. Sans felt his chest burning and his bones practically melting. He screamed and writhed in pain.

"IT HURTS! PLEASE NO- D-DON'T!" Sans screamed shrilly, his arms and legs unable to move. Gaster pulled the dagger out of his hand and took his hand off of Sans. He turned away and wrapped his hand in bandages.

"It's just begun, my little Sansie," Gaster smirked, "I'm sure you'll survive. After all, you're my nephew." He laughed sinisterly and left the room, leaving Sans on the large table in his agony, screaming and calling out for help.

"Pap!" Sans called out hoarsely, his eye sockets brimming with tears, "I-It hurts, Pap!" He couldn't feel his hands anymore. They were starting to turn to dust. He felt his bones turning brittle. He could feel the scorching heat course through his body. He felt his entire body screaming in anguish. He felt no more as the darkness came to swallow up his consciousness. He wondered if he was going to die now.

* * *

"Sans!" A familiar voice cried out, but it sounded so far away.

"SANS!" The voice was getting closer.

"SANS, YOU ARE WAKING UP. YOU HAVE TO." The voice was right in front of him now. Sans opened his eyes slowly. He found himself looking into the face of his brother, whose eye sockets no longer held the same orange glow. They were devoid of color now.

"P-Pap… Y-Your eyes…?" Sans murmured groggily. He felt Papyrus's hands holding his shoulders, to help him sit upright. His entire body ached, as if one of those huge ice blocks had hit him.

"Sans, I'm fine. I can see perfectly," Papyrus replied, "How are you feeling, Sans?" Sans gave a nod and smiled weakly. He didn't seem to be missing any body parts or anything. He just felt his entire body hurt. He also felt cold for some reason.

"That's good to hear," Papyrus stated, "I'm so sorry, Sans… I'm sorry…" He held Sans closer to him and tightened his grasp on his brother. Sans smiled, still feeling quite sleepy. He placed a hand on his brother's back and drifted off back to sleep.

* * *

The harsh light of the room returned. Sans squinted and tried to look around. He felt much better now. He wondered if Papyrus was near him. He heard the screams and shouts of his brother suddenly. He had his answer.

"Awake now, Sans?" Gaster asked politely as he held a saw to Papyrus's skull. Gaster noticed the look of terror on Sans's face and felt the need to explain. "Ah, this is just to help your brother a little. He needs to be educated." He grinned and went back to his work. The saw started moving back and forth, and Papyrus started screaming. Pure rage and hatred consumed Sans's mind, giving him a newfound strength that surged through his body. He felt much warmer now for some reason.

"Gaster," Sans spoke as he tore himself off of the table, "You better stop that." Sans's eye sockets were a brilliant blue now, and he lifted a hand to where Gaster was sitting. He had dropped his saw and was slowly standing up, with one of his hands behind him trying to cast a spell furtively.

"Or else what?" Gaster asked haughtily, almost done with his spell. Sans would have no chance against his spells. Or so he thought. Sans grinned menacingly and lifted a hand.

"You're gonna have a bad time," Sans stated, and suddenly Gaster was airborne, flying right into the hard ceiling of the room. Papyrus lay there watching the scene, dumbstruck. He couldn't believe it. The force at which Gaster hit the ceiling had crushed the ceiling and Gaster continued to make his way up the ceiling. Sans took a deep breath and dashed to where Papyrus lay.

"S-Sans?" Papyrus asked as Sans fumbled with the straps, trying to take them off. "Sans, th-that was awesome!" Sans grinned back at Papyrus and managed to get Papyrus off of the table. He searched for some bandages to help Papyrus's skull, but he couldn't find any cuts or gashes from what Gaster had done earlier.

"Pap… Y-Your…" Sans stammered, "It's gone…?" Papyrus made a grimace and nodded slowly. Sans was baffled, he didn't know such a thing could even happen. But then he remembered how he could somehow wield such great magical powers.

"Does this have to do with whatever Gaster's put in us?" Sans asked cautiously, looking up at his brother. All of a sudden, both of them started hearing laughter. A sort of cynical and twisted laughter that chilled their bones.

"Children, children…" Gaster muttered, his voice echoing. "You shouldn't be so naughty, or else Santa won't be giving you any presents." Gaster appeared before them, his perfect, porcelain face not so perfect anymore. Cracks had appeared around his eye sockets, and his white lab coat was filthy with grime and dirt.

"We're going to leave, Uncle," Papyrus spoke out, mustering as much couage as possible. "We aren't your test subjects anymore." Gaster's eyes widened in surprise. Papyrus placed his hands on Sans's shoulders and stood there defiantly. Sans nodded fiercely.

"Oh dear… Sometimes I do wonder how you're _their_ children…" Gaster murmured, and Papyrus's eyes glowed with fury. Sans didn't quite understand what Gaster meant. Papyrus let loose a barrage of bones and stones at Gaster, who tried to put up a shield to block it all. Sans was a bit quicker and managed to shove Gaster to the ground, face first. The projectiles struck Gaster and buried him under quite a lot of debris.

"Let's go, Sans," Papyrus spoke, "before he can stand up again." Sans nodded and held tightly to his brother's hand. The two of them started running down corridors and rooms, past all the experiments Gaster had done. They spotted various sorts of speciments and subjects, from monsters that looked like fused parts of each other to monsters that looked like a great nightmare for monsters.

"B-Brother…" Sans whimpered, his legs moving as fast as possible. He didn't like this. He hated seeing all this. He was starting to get afraid again. He felt the cold once again.

"Sans, stay with me!" Papyrus shouted and he tightened his grip on Sans. He didn't know where they were going, but he was sure that one of these routes has an exit. There had to be an exit.

"Brother, i-it's so cold right now…" Sans shivered and started to drag Papyrus down, his legs no longer moving. Papyrus stopped and heaved Sans onto his back. He started dashing down the dark corridors and focused on finding an exit. They couldn't go back to Gaster. It can't happen. He could hear Gaster's laughter again and the monstrous scream that was undeniably Gaster's.

"We're almost there, Sans!" Papyrus screamed, his legs were aching and his bones were screaming for him to stop and rest. He refused. He had just spotted a dim ray of light from a far away corridor. His feet never stopped moving and he dashed even faster to the light. This had to be the exit. It had to be.

"Oh no," A familiar voice announced, chilling Papyrus's very soul. "You're so close, but I'm here first." A face smiled at them, eyes glowing bright yellow. Papyrus was just about to summon his bones when he felt something loom right above him.

"Say hello to my pets," Gaster spoke, "GT-130, the weapon of destruction." It was shaped like the skull of a beast, and its eyes glowed the same yellow as Gaster's eyes. The thing above him opened its maw and let loose a beam of bright blue energy. Papyrus barely managed to dodge, only to face another beast-head. Gaster started laughing, entertained by such a sight. His experiments fighting each other.

"P-Pap!" Sans shouted, clinging onto Papyrus's back. Papyrus gave a thumbs-up and struck the heads with his bones. They seemed to be working, but Gaster summoned forth even more of those weapons.

"Now what will you do?" Gaster asked with a wretched smile on his face. "You're surrounded, my little nephews." Papyrus froze in shock and fear, and he looked back at his brother. He wondered if he could somehow shield Sans from the beam they shot. He felt for his brother on his back. Sans wasn't there on his back.

"SANS?!" Papyrus shouted, and looked around for his brother. He found his brother tottering over to one of the beast-heads, gently caressing the jaw of it. Papyrus felt his whole body freeze.

"B-Brother?" Sans asked, turning back at Papyrus to look at him, "L-Look! I-I think he likes me!" The beast-head did seem to like Sans, nuzzling Sans's face with his nose. The others that surrounded them looked at Sans with puzzlement. And all of a sudden, all the beast-head things floated around Sans, their eyes now glowing a bright blue.

"W-Wait, they're not programmed to-" Gaster protested weakly, and he started to take a few steps back. He tripped on a protruding bone and fell backwards, and watched his nephews walking slowly towards him with his own creations.

"Gasterblasters," Sans stated, "Fire." And a great blue light engulfed the hallway, illuminating everything. A horrifying scream echoed through the empty hallway.

As the light faded, they couldn't find any remains of Gaster. The Gasterblasters all faded away into particles of light that flowed into Sans's eye socket.

"Is he dead?" Sans asked, his voice filled with curiosity and relief. Papyrus shook his head. He knew their uncle wouldn't die that easily after all. He placed a hand on Sans's head and patted him.

"You're the best," Papyrus stated, and he held Sans's hand. Sans beamed at him and started walking with Papyrus to the light at the end of the hallway. The outside world waited for them.

"We're going to have so much fun," Papyrus muttered to his brother as the two of them exited the dreadful lab. For now, they were going to live as they had, before all this had happened, back to those days of serendipity and laughter. Papyrus promised that to his brother silently. He would never let that smile fade again.

* * *

 _Presently…_

Sans groaned as he sat up on the bed, and he knew this wasn't his room. It was too clean to be his room. He slid off of the bed and slipped on his slippers. He wore his coat and made his way outside. It was Alphys and Undyne's house. He could see that from the unrealistically large sword that hung as a display on the wall. He made his way downstairs, past the disgustingly numerous photos of Undyne and Alphys on the wall. He made sure not to look at them, unless he really wanted to burn his eyes out and become blind.

"papyrus?" Sans called out, "alphys? um… undyne?" He looked around and walked down the corridors and made his way to the living room. Besides the huge television that hung on the wall, he noticed a figure laying in the flagrantly pink couch in the middle of the room. Papyrus lay there, sleeping soundly and silently. Sans felt a small smile on his face and sat beside his brother. He leaned close to his ear.

"mettaton is here," Sans whispered into his brother's ear and quickly moved away from him. Papyrus rose extremely quickly and looked around, his arms flailing.

"WHERE?!" Papyrus shouted, and he only found Sans in front of him, who was trying his hardest not to laugh. Papyrus felt mortified, but he did feel relieved to know that his brother was doing well.

"Come here, you," Papyrus muttered as he grabbed Sans and held him tightly. "Making me worried as always, aren't you?" Sans nodded and buried his face into Papyrus's shoulder. He trembled and felt the tears sliding out of his eye sockets.

"p-pap…" Sans murmured in a muffled voice. Papyrus patted Sans's head and nodded. He still hasn't forgotten his promise he made for his brother's sake. He would end this all one day. He won't ever break that promise.

"Wanna go to Grillby's?" Papyrus asked, even though the answer was pretty obvious. Sans nodded wordlessly and lifted his face from Papyrus, smiling broadly. Papyrus chuckled and stood up from the couch. The brothers then left the house, their footsteps as light as ever, and their faces smiling, just like always.

* * *

And there you go! A bit of the past about Sans and Papyrus! It's a bit difficult to piece it together with my previous chapters, so... if there are some inaccuracies... Please don't murder me... I guess this is a relatively shorter chapter compared to the others, but hey. Feel free to leave reviews and comments! :)


	20. Chapter 19 - Project Determination II

Dear beloved readers,

First of all, I noticed that I had a few typos and missing words in some of my chapters... Like in the previous chapter, when describing Gaster... I totally missed out a word... I promise to proofread everything properly next time :) I'll do my best to decrease the amount of error in my fanfiction... Thankfully, the ones I noticed till now are very very minor, so, I guess it's okay... hehe...

Also, I don't really know if I would be able to update ASAP after this chapter. Spring break is... sadly... Over... ._. So, it might take me a while to write the next chapter. I apologize in advance if it gets updated very late. :(

Oh and did you notice the Asriel x Frisk in the synopsis? :3 Don't worry, this won't go to a mature level of it, I just really really like them together... (Please don't send tons of messages telling me it's incest. Please.) But I will make a nice relationship out of that. I will. I promise.

Alphys: S-So, uh, d-does that mean Papyrus x Mettaton is also happening?

Sans: do u wanna have a bad time

Papyrus: What does that even mean?

Mettaton: Oh darling... I can teach you that for sure.

Papyrus: *blushes* H-Huh? Y-Yes, the Magnanimous Papyrus requires your guidance.

Mettaton: I'll teach you more than just that, darling. *winks*

Sans: you better diddly not lay a hand on-

Toriel: Sans!

Sans: y-yes tori?!

Toriel: What did the pasta say to the angry tomato?

Sans: i dunno, tori

Toriel: You're getting angry fusilli reasons!

Sans: hahaha good one, tori *blushes and feels his heart pounding*

Asgore: *glares from a distance*

Undyne: There now Asgore, it's okay.

Asriel: Yeah Dad, I'm sure Mom will tagliatelle you jokes too!

Frisk: You just did not

Asriel: What are you gonna do about it?

Frisk: So adorable.

Asriel: Wh-What?!

Please enjoy this chapter as well!

* * *

 **Chapter 19 – Project Determination II**

"And that would be it for today, Beauties and Gentlebeauties!" Mettaton spoke as he bowed with a flourish and posed dramatically. He winked and the program started rolling its credits.

On the other side of the screen, Undyne sat on her couch, staring at the blaring television with a bag of Popato Chisps in her hands. With her eyes glued to the screen, she didn't notice the sounds that came from the basement, where Alphys had set up her lab. A week had passed since the two of them had returned from encountering Chara or Clara (as Undyne puts it, "Chalara"), and Alphys had shut herself in the lab, muttering something about black and soul the entire time. Undyne knew exactly what she had to do whenever Alphys did things like that—do whatever she wanted to with no restraints. Even so, she quickly grew tired of basically everything she had done for the past three hours since getting out of bed. Suddenly, a brilliant idea struck Undyne.

"ALPHYS!" Undyne yelled as she jumped from the couch and dashed down the stairs to the basement. "ALPHYS, I'M BORED!" She stood before the thick, iron door and had a wide grin on her face. Undyne summoned her energy spear.

"Alphys?" Undyne called, but no one answered her. She started slamming her fists against the door, starting to feel suspicious over the lack of response. Surely nothing bad happened to Alphys?

"ALPHYS! OPEN UP!" Undyne screamed, continuing to punch the door, leaving dent marks all over it. She took a step back and looked at the door wearily. She summoned forth more spears to strike the door.

"Please be safe, please be safe…" Undyne murmured as she threw all her spears at the door, destroying it entirely like it was made out of cardboard. She jumped over the rubble and stepped into the lab. Cold air breezed past Undyne. There was a peculiar scent of disinfectant and instant noodles in the air. A darkened corridor lay before her, with the lights above flickering and rather dim. Undyne had never once stepped foot into Alphys's lab. She spotted a sheet of paper lying on the ground a few meters away from where the door was.

"What on earth…?" Undyne whispered, perusing the paper. Even though Undyne couldn't understand some of the words, she did comprehend snatches of it. Whatever the paper had, she knew it had something to do with whatever Alphys was doing.

"ALPHYS!" Undyne shouted, her words echoing through the deserted lab. She hoped that Alphys hadn't done anything drastic yet. She wouldn't let Alphys go back to how she was back in the Underground, after the whole Amalgamates incident. She couldn't leave her behind again.

"ALPHYS! YOU BETTER BE ALIVE!" Undyne shouted loudly and started running down the corridor, using her energy spears as a lamp to guide her. The paper she held fluttered behind her, softly landing on the ground, flashing the words, "Project Determination II."

* * *

Holding a camcorder in her hand, Toriel secretly filmed her sons in the backyard. Asgore was beside her, watching the kids as well. Laughter filled the yard as the kids ran around and called each other names. They were "battling" each other, which mainly consisted of running around and trying to annoy each other.

"Can't catch me, God of Hyperdeath?" Frisk yelled, barely dodging Asriel's hand as he took a sharp turn and ran the other way. Asriel turned quickly and shouted in irritation. His face had already reddened, both from embarrassment and running around for so long.

"Sh-Shut up!" Asriel shouted in reply, "At least my eyes aren't just lines on my face!" He was starting to run out of breath. Frisk glared back at Asriel and stuck out his tongue. Toriel started giggling and snorting a little, which in turn made Asgore laugh.

"Oh no, the Angel of Death is here to take me!" Frisk exclaimed sarcastically, "Whatever shall I do?" He sneered at Asriel and stood there with his hands on his waist, carefully watching Asriel, who trudged close to Frisk.

"Fallen child," Asriel spat, "Get ready to fall again." Asriel roared (which really cracked Toriel and Asgore up) and lunged for Frisk, who couldn't move fast enough to avoid Asriel's attack. The two of them fell on the ground, Frisk landing with a dull thud on the ground with Asriel landing on top of him, eliciting a grunt from Frisk.

"Oof… F-Frisk… Are you okay…?" Asriel asked, lifting his face from Frisk's chest. Frisk groaned as he opened his eyes and tried to get up, only to find a white furry monster on top of him, staring back at him with those bright blue eyes. Frisk felt his face warming and tried to look away quickly.

"G-Get off of me first, will you?" Frisk spoke flusteredly. Asriel flinched and stood up quickly, holding a hand out for Frisk. He wondered if Frisk was feeling hurt or anything because of whatever he'd said or done. Frisk took his hand and stood up as well. He stood there awkwardly, not quite able to face Asriel properly. Asriel, on the other hand, thought that he had done something terribly wrong to Frisk.

"Gorey dear, aren't they just the cutest things ever?" Toriel murmured, squealing at the same time. Asgore nodded enthusiastically, unable to keep his eyes off of his two children. Could their children get any more adorable? (Yes, yes they could.)

"F-Frisk?" Asriel asked cautiously, "Did I… Do something wrong?" He reached out to hold Frisk's hand, making Frisk feel even more flustered and coloring his face a bright red. He shook his head slowly, and Asriel felt relieved, knowing that nothing terrible had happened.

"You know Frisk," Asriel piped up, evidently not knowing that this was a terrible time to say whatever he had in mind. Frisk looked up at Asriel, wondering what his favorite monster in the world had to say.

"When I grow up, I wanna live with you," Asriel declared, "And I… I'll marry you." Frisk felt his mind go numb entirely from that one statement. His mind couldn't process it all. As for Toriel and Asgore, they were doing their best to scream as softly as possible, muffling each other's screams. Neither could believe that they were getting this all on video.

"M-M-Marry?" Frisk stammered out, barely managing to understand what Asriel had just said. His face felt hot and he couldn't control his heart beating so fast.

"Yeah! As long as we love each other, we can get married!" Asriel replied, his cheeks turning slightly pink. With his mind no longer functioning from what just happened, Frisk collapsed into Asriel's arms.

"Frisk?" Asriel asked, innocently staring at Frisk and oblivious as to why Frisk reacted in such a way. As Toriel and Asgore continued to watch their children, someone silently sneaked behind them and tapped their shoulders. Both Toriel and Asgore shrieked and turned to face Sans and Papyrus, who had returned from their grocery shopping.

"What's going on over there?" Papyrus asked, but his voice ceased immediately upon catching sight of Frisk and Asriel. His jaw dropped. Sans's smile froze. Toriel and Asgore could feel their sins crawling on their backs. Toriel quickly handed the camcorder to Sans.

"didn't know they'd swing that way," Sans finally stated after a few moments of watching the recorded video on the camcorder. Papyrus nodded and beamed at Toriel and Asgore. He was feeling proud that Frisk managed to display his amazing dating power finally.

"Mom!" Asriel called out, "Frisk is acting weird!" Toriel leaped up and dashed to the yard, where the children were. Asgore stood up as well and made his way there as well. Still holding the camcorder, Sans smirked at Papyrus, who simply raised a non-existent eyebrow at him.

"Brother…" Papyrus muttered, "You're planning something, aren't you?" Papyrus's eyes narrowed. Sans tried his best to not burst out laughing. He had just watched one of the greatest videos in history. He had to do something.

"stall time for me, pap," Sans stated and made his way upstairs to his room. He was a skeleton with a great task to accomplish. Papyrus shook his head and walked out to the yard to join the Dreemurr family.

* * *

The corridor finally opened up to a spacious room lined with cabinets and desks, with the documents and books arranged almost perfectly. The room was slightly eerie, due to the dimness of the lighting and the sheer size of the room. Something was definitely off about it all. Alphys wasn't the type to use such a large room in such a way. The furniture only lined the perimeter of the room, never touching the middle or anything.

"Alphys?!" Undyne shouted, "Are you here somewhere?" She trudged into the room and looked around, searching for anything that might lead to Alphys. She noticed a sheet of paper on the ground. She scanned it quickly.

"Project Determination II – W. D. Gaster," Undyne whispered, "What is this…?" She noticed Alphys's handwriting all over it, scribbled over many of the words. It was pretty clear that Alphys had collaborated with Gaster, even before that monster had died. The paper didn't tell her much, save for the fact that whatever this project was, it had something to do with taking the extracted determination and using it as a tool. A tool for what exact purposes, Undyne couldn't figure.

"Alphys?!" Undyne shouted, "Are you here somewhere?" She shoved the paper into her pocket and walked around the room. She opened the cabinets, knowing that Alphys might hide in such places. Strangely, they contained nothing. She glanced at the desks. The papers were all blank. This wasn't the real lab that Alphys used.

"ALPHYS!" Undyne yelled, "ALPHYS, THIS ISN'T FUNNY!" Undyne started running from desk to desk, throwing all the drawers open and trying to look for anything that Alphys could have left behind besides those weird documents about that project. While running like a madman, Undyne tripped and fell over something.

"What the hell…" Undyne sat up and looked at her foot. It took her a few seconds to actually identify what it was under the dim lights. It was a quite small metal box with dents all over and rust covering every inch of it. Undyne crawled up to it and inspected it. The box was rusted shut. She took her energy spear and slashed at the box, opening it. Within the box was a very old notebook, the pages yellowed and the cover wrinkled and tattered. Undyne grabbed it and flipped it open, finding the first and foremost entry written in various symbols. Fortunately, Undyne knew what those symbols were, since Alphys did teach her how to read those weird letters called "wingdings." They had written to each other in that code-like lettering sometimes, in case they didn't want anyone reading their letters. She flushed at the thought of those scandalous letters but quickly went back to deciphering the entries.

* * *

 **Entry #1**

I have captured the second human today. Thankfully they were still alive when I spotted them. It was pretty easy getting the soul out of them. They only required one stab through the heart. Alphys has been a wonderful assistant in finding out more uses for this "determination." I knew I had chosen the right assistant. She and I share many views, and I am sure we can work together to achieve the best results. Unlike those two nephews of mine, Alphys has obeyed every word of mine. I will make sure that this would happen forever.

* * *

 **Entry #2**

We found one use for determination—bringing the "dead" back to life. Alphy seemed absolutely overjoyed at it. She was thrilled to use it first on her pet mouse which died this morning. The mouse was revived, miraculously. I told her that I would examine it until tomorrow, just to see the full effects of it. There was a bit of conflict, but she acquiesced nonetheless. As soon as she left, the mouse showed very strange signs. Its cells seemed to somehow lyse and yet retain its contents, fusing with each other and "melting," if I may say so. The mouse was no longer a mouse. The most peculiar part of it all was that other living things fused with this thing even from a slight contact with it. Truly fascinating to watch the other mice trying to help each other but inadvertently dragging one another to melt into one body. Although, I wonder what I should tell Alphys tomorrow.

* * *

 **Entry #3**

Alphys keeps asking me about her mouse. I told her that it died overnight, and that the determination serum didn't work properly. She had a strange look on her face. Water droplets seemed to form from her eyes. I do not believe I understand what that means. She still worked as efficiently as usual as my assistant. But something seems a little off about this girl. No matter. I must find another use for this "determination."

* * *

 **Entry #4**

I do not understand. There has to be another usage for this determination. I have done everything I could. I've searched the bodies. I've macerated them in aqua fortis and extracted everything I could, collecting samples of every organ and cell in those disgusting humans. Yet, what is this determination, besides helping their souls survive?

* * *

 **Entry #5**

Alphys found out the truth about her pet mouse. She screamed at me and threw the books at me. She announced that she would be leaving, as she did not want to be a part of this any longer. I did not answer her. By the afternoon, she had left. I feel a slight pang somewhere in my sternum. There is nothing that would induce any discomfort there, perhaps it is a form of phantom pain. It matters not. I must somehow find the truth behind humans and their souls. This determination has to be the key behind it all.

* * *

"So that's what happened…" Undyne murmured, "Huh?" She noticed a small, yellowed sheet of parchment flutter to the ground. She picked it up and noticed that it was another entry, but the number was slightly different. She tried reading it.

* * *

 **Entry #17**

DARKER DARKER YET DARKER

THE DARKNESS KEEPS GROWING

THE SHADOWS CUTTING DEEPER

PHOTON READINGS NEGATIVE

THIS NEXT EXPERIMENT SEEMS

VERY

VERY

INTERESTING

…

WHAT DO YOU TWO THINK?

* * *

Undyne felt a chill as she finished reading it. She wondered who this "two" meant. She felt something fine and powder-like sticking to her hands. She screamed and threw the parchment, rubbing her hands on the cold floor to get rid of the dust that clung to her hands. She had a chilling thought that it might have been Alphys's.

"ALPHYS!" Undyne shouted once again, she stood up trudged around, searching the floor for any signs of footprints or even dust. She hoped the latter wasn't what she found. Footsteps echoed through the room as her feet tapped the stone-cold surface of the floor. The footsteps continued on, punctuated with a loud squeak. Undyne stopped. She took a step back. Another squeak. She stomped her feet and a hollow sound reverberated through the room. Under the dim lighting of the room, the floor looked the same. But upon a closer inspection with her energy spear, Undyne noticed that particular part of the floor being a bit different in material.

"I swear, Alphys," Undyne muttered, "You're making things such a pain in the ass…" Undyne took a step back and smashed her energy spear into the floor panel. It broke away to reveal a dark hole that didn't seem to have a bottom to it. Undyne gulped and took a deep breath. She had to do whatever it took to find Alphys. Even if it meant doing something that looked just like suicide.

"I'm expecting something better than a kiss, Alphys," Undyne shouted into the hole, her voice echoing through it. She leaped into the hole and wondered if she was finally out of her mind.

* * *

On the second floor of the Dreemurr home, past the kids' bedroom, Toriel and Asgore's bedroom, and Papyrus's room, a room exists that might as well be another world—a world where the concept of cleaning and tidying up does not exist—San's room. And in this mysterious room, Sans sat at his desk with the camcorder connected to his laptop. He clicked and typed fervently, trying to make something out of the video. He knew he could make this something majorly viral. Just as the video had uploaded, his laptop switched off suddenly. Sans almost threw the laptop across the room. He quickly tried to switch it on again, but alas, no response came from the poor machine. Sans shut the laptop close and stashed the camcorder away in his drawer, just in the nick of time before Toriel and the children marched right into his room.

"Sans! Something happened!" Toriel shouted, "All the electricity's out for some reason! We might not have light for a while…" She walked over to the windows and drew the curtains open. Sans hissed at the light and looked sheepishly at Toriel. Both Frisk and Asriel were smiling at him and looking at Toriel. Asriel could see through Sans pretty easily when it came to his mom. He grabbed Frisk and whispered something, and the two of them exited, smiling back at Sans and giving him a thumbs-up. Sans felt his face warming with color.

"w-well, i-i guess we're gonna need you a lot then," Sans muttered, and Toriel looked at him with a curious look. Sans tried to avoid her gaze. He twiddled his thumbs and mustered the courage to speak.

"'cuz you certainly do brighten up my world, tori," Sans stated, his cheeks burning up and his face holding a perpetual smile. Toriel snorted and started laughing loudly. She grabbed Sans and held him in her arms. Sans felt his mind turning numb and his senses being overpowered just from Toriel holding him so tightly. He could smell the cinnamon and butterscotch, as well as a hint of that sweet, saccharine flowery scent that Toriel always had.

"Sans, you're so sweet," Toriel murmured. She obviously had no idea that Sans was thinking the same for her. Sans wondered if she would ever—at least once—love him back. Unfortunately, he didn't have any more time to think about those things. The house began to shake with a deep rumble that emanated from the ground. Then everything seemed calm. Toriel released Sans and called for the children, who came rushing in with terror in their eyes.

"Mom!" Frisk shouted, "There's a… A hole in our garden." Asriel nodded quickly, affirming this. Toriel's eyes widened and she glanced at Sans. They trudged over to the window to get a proper look at the garden. There really was a bottomless hole in the middle of the grass. Asgore and Papyrus were standing around it, curious as to what had just occurred. Sans materialized right beside Papyrus and started walking around the hole. Strangely enough, the interior of the hole had a smooth appearance, not a blemish or protrusion on it.

"Sans, this doesn't look very normal," Papyrus stated as he knelt on the ground, examining the ground. Toriel and the children watched from the house, and Asgore was with them, trying to placate Toriel. Sans noticed the look of fear in her eyes.

"i'm gonna try calling alphys," Sans said, rummaging his pockets for his phone. He quickly dialed the scientist and waited. He heard a click as someone picked up the phone. Just as he was about to say something, the other side of the line was filled with crackles and static.

"alphys?" Sans asked, "what's happening?" He heard laugther on the other side of the line. Laughter that definitely didn't belong to Alphys. He could also hear growls and screams in the background.

"My little Sansie..." A raucous voice rasped and giggled. The line died suddenly and Sans dropped his phone. Sans dropped to his knees and stared blankly at the hole in front of him. Papyrus rushed to his brother and grabbed onto his shoulders.

"Sans?!" Papyrus shouted, "What's the matter?!" Sans shivered and his eye sockets turned darker. He knew this had to be Alphys's doing. There was no doubt about it. No one else besides her could do it. Sans motioned for Papyrus to come closer. Papyrus leaned closer to Sans to hear his words.

"Alphys did it," Sans whispered, and Papyrus knew exactly what this meant.

* * *

"Woah…" Undyne murmured, "Alphys what on earth did you do here…" In the bottom of the hole, there was a rather large corridor. She spotted an elevator a little away from her, and she guessed Alphys used it to reach this place. The corridor opened up to a room, but Undyne couldn't determine the dimensions of it, due to the lack of light; save for a brightly lit rectangle a few meters in front of her. It was a computer monitor. The whirring sounds of a computer was all she could hear in the room.

"What is this..?" Undyne whispered as she tried to read whatever text was on the screen. She didn't understand it at all. But the word "Determination" seemed to be literally everywhere. She also noticed the word "Soul" appearing quite frequently. It still didn't make much sense.

"Alphys?" Undyne called out, getting the mechanical sounds of a computer back as response. She was just about to explore the room a bit until she heard a rustling sound quite close to her.

"Who's there?!" Undyne shouted, summoning her energy spears. She spread them around her and tried to illuminate the space around her. No one was there. She exhaled slowly and started trudging away from the screen. She felt a cold hand grip her shoulder suddenly. She grasped the arm and heaved it in front of her, bringing the assailant down on the ground.

"How dare you try to attack me, the ex-captain of the Royal Guards," Undyne announced, "Now who the hell are you?" She leaned closer with an energy spear to inspect the face of the attacker. She froze and dropped the spear.

"U-Un… Dyne…" A familiar voice croaked out, "H-Help… Me…" Hands reached out for Undyne's hand, and the room suddenly blazed forth with light. Undyne couldn't believe her eyes. She didn't want to believe what she was seeing. On the ground lay Alphys, her face distorted in an expression of fear and sorrow. She had donned her lab coat, but it was tattered in various places. Undyne felt her stomach churn as she noticed another thing. Alphys's skin seemed to be falling off of her, showing the bones beneath it. She didn't seem to be hurt or anything, but something or someone had changed her.

"G-Gaster …" Alphys whispered, "Back…" Undyne felt tears stinging her eyes, seeing Alphys in such a state. But in that precise moment, Alphys started screaming, her eyes widening, revealing yellow pupils that glowed. Undyne could never forget that particular shade of yellow. She felt anger bubbling within her, knowing exactly what that meant for Alphys. The screams continued, and Undyne backed away from Alphys slowly, trying to think of a way to help her. She looked around, but that was when she noticed the cages and the bloodstains, along with the dust that covered the grounds. Undyne's eyes widened and she tried to keep her stomach down. She glanced at Alphys, who seemed to have lost consciousness. She didn't want to believe all of this. As if on cue, the cages started to scream and screech, creating a cacophonous chorus that expressed one feeling in particular—pain.

"Alphys, what did you do…?" Undyne murmured, watching the grotesque scene before her. The light revealed cages filled with monsters and various Amalgamates, but the monsters didn't look like monsters. There was something disgustingly wrong with their appearances—something strikingly human in their appearances—as if someone had forced humans and monsters to fuse together to form such abominations. In some other cages, bodies of monsters were sliced open, revealing the soul within them.

"I did what I needed to do for the sake of everyone," A deep voice sounded and Undyne turned to look at Alphys. She stood there before her, yellow eyes gloating at her and a sneer pasted on her face. Undyne held her spear in her hand.

"Give Alphys back, you monster," Undyne snarled, "She did nothing to harm you." Alphys laughed shrilly at Undyne, holding out a hand and looking at it.

"She was such a great assistant…" Alphys murmured, "Until she pushed me in there." Undyne glared at Gaster. That wasn't possible. Alphys would never do such a thing. She didn't believe a single word of it.

"It's not really fun, you know, when you get scattered through so many timelines," Gaster's voice rasped from Alphys's mouth. "But that also means that I can come back any time I really want. I will never truly die." Alphys smiled at Undyne.

"Shut the hell up," Undyne growled, "You're going to pay for this. For all of this." Undyne summoned up more of her spears and surrounded Alphys with it. Alphys started laughing uncontrollably and looked at Undyne with tears in her eyes. Undyne didn't falter. She stood her ground and watched Alphys.

"Do you really think that I, Gaster, did this?" Alphys asked haughtily, "Foolish fish. This girl did it all. By. Herself." Gaster's voice started laughing again. Undyne dropped her spear. She didn't understand this. Gaster's words shattered Undyne's very reality, the very picture of Alphys she always carried in her heart. She screamed and lunged for Alphys, who stood there smirking maliciously with those eyes that expressed pure contempt.

* * *

Asgore and Toriel had decided to go and take a look at Alphys's house before they did anything. That left the Skelebros and the Dreemurr children in the backyard staring at the giant sinkhole. Papyrus and Sans were trying to figure a way out to get to Alphys's true lab while Asriel and Frisk sat near the hole.

"Did you hear that?" Asriel asked Frisk, who nodded in reply. He could hear the faint screams coming from the depths of the pit. Someone was down there. _I guess that means we have to go down there, huh._ Asriel thought. Frisk dashed over to Sans and dragged him over to the edge of the hole.

"hm? what is it kiddo?" Sans asked, bewildered. Frisk pointed to the hole and motioned to his ears. "you… want me to listen to the hole…?" Asriel and Frisk both nodded. Sans seemed a little confused. He leaned closer to the hole. Shouts and screams echoed faintly again.

"oh," Sans stated, "that doesn't sound good." He looked into the abyss and looked at the children. He knew Toriel and Asgore wouldn't like this idea, but he had to do it. He had to get rid of Gaster before he did anything.

"pap, kiddo, and bucko," Sans declared, "we're going to pay dr. alphys a visit." He reached out to hold the children's hands and looked at Papyrus with a smirk.

"Sans, I don't think this is a terribly great idea. Maybe we should wait-" Papyrus was cut off from finishing his sentence. Sans had already pulled him into the hole as the four of them fell into it. The abysmal pit was soon filled with a chorus of screams, ranging from Papyrus's deathly howl of fear to Frisk's scream of pure excitement.

 _I hope nothing bad has happened yet…_ Asriel silently wished, staring into the darkness.

* * *

In the bottom of the pit, a petite figure sat on the floor, holding a knife in her hands. Even in the darkness, she could see perfectly. Her ears twitched as she heard the screams coming from above. Her face broke into a sinister smile, excited to know that she was having visitors soon, along with two of her best friends coming over to play with her and her brother forever.

"They're coming to play with us again, Chara!" A voice cried with delight.

* * *

I hope you liked this chapter as well! Feel free to leave a review and comment on the chapter! Thanks for reading :)


	21. Chapter 20 - How to Save

Hey everyone, it's really been a while since I updated, I sincerely apologize... I think this will be the last update I can manage for this month. I think I'll need to take a break for now simply because of the amount of work I've got. As of now, I've got many more tests to take and it took me a while to get this chapter written in between my free time. Honestly I don't think I can update for now, so I'll be on a bit of a break. I really am sorry for this after almost a month of not updating... I promise to be back with better chapters as soon as I can in June.

* * *

 **Daily Life of Dvyitrus**

Sans: as you can see our author has no life literally and has to slave his life away at school

Toriel: Which makes it a good use of time, isn't it, Sans?

Sans: if you say so...

Papyrus: You do know, Brother, he's even got our ages wrong?

(According to canon, Papyrus is the younger brother and Sans the elder... I didn't know that... Too late to fix it now)

Sans: i don't mind that

Toriel: But besides school, surely this child has something more to his life than this.

Sans: maybe so.

(A/N: not really)

* * *

 **Chapter 20 – How to Save**

Clouds had gathered over the peaceful town, casting a distinct mood of gloominess over everything, including Toriel. Asgore glanced at his wife and tried to think of a joke that could help her feel a little better. Unfortunately for him, he wasn't Sans. All he could think of was tea, especially in regards to what brand of tea he should drink that evening. Besides golden flower tea, he simply adored the fragrance and flavor of Darjeeling. Realizing that he had strayed from his initial thoughts, he tried to think of something that could at least reassure Toriel.

Asgore inched his hand closer to Toriel's, brushing against hers. He slowly grasped it and looked at Toriel with a smile ready on his face. Toriel glanced at him and chuckled softly. Evidently, she thought he was being a rather silly goat monster. And for the rest of their way to Alphys's home, they walked hand-in-hand, smiles on their faces.

"Fluffybuns dear, that's Dr. Alphys's home, is it not?" Toriel asked, pointing to a suburbian house painted bright pink. Asgore nodded and the two of them walked up the door. They knocked on the door, but no one answered.

"Dr. Alphys?" Asgore called, "Dr. Alphys, are you there? Undyne?" Still no reply. Asgore started to pound on the door. Toriel searched for any signs around the house, searching the bushes and the ground. Something in the bushes caught her eye.

"Gorey," Toriel called as she made her way back to the door. "Try this." Asgore moved for her to try the key. With a click, the door unlocked and the two of them made their way into the house. Toriel took one final look at outside and thought of her children, wondering if they were doing alright. She knew Sans and Papyrus would protect them. She knew Sans would never break a promise. She grasped Asgore's hand and ventured into the house, looking for the scientist and the warrior.

* * *

When Asriel regained his consciousness, he felt something heavy on top of his chest. He opened his eyes slowly and groaned, his sight focusing on whatever that was on his chest. A familiar dark brown mass of hair lay right before his eyes, and he realized that it was Frisk.

"Uh- Frisk?" Asriel called, "Y-You're kind of crushing me…" His face started to gain a reddish color as he felt Frisk's face on his chest. He tried shaking the human on top of him.

"Hmmm…" Frisk murmured, "Five more minutes…" Asriel summoned all his might and heaved Frisk off of his chest. He took a deep breath and tried to calm his flustered self. He couldn't help but feel that way whenever he was near Frisk. Asriel felt his ears heat up again.

"Hey bucko," Sans's voice sounded, "lend a hand maybe?" Asriel looked around, unable to find Sans anywhere. He spotted a flash of white and dashed his way over to Sans. At least, where he thought Sans would be. His blood froze as when his eyes spotted the familiar face and figure. The same dark hair and the large, round eyes that peered back at him with blood-red pupils. Chara stood before him, the same smile on his face.

"Gullible as always, Asriel," Chara spoke, laughing while doing so. "We've missed you lots, you know?" Asriel took a step back. He noticed that Chara was holding something behind his back. _Let's hope that's not a knife back there._ Asriel thought to himself. _Wait, did he just say_ we _?_

"We've always wondered what the color of your soul would be," Chara stated, "I guess today's the day we get to see it." The child started laughing, and it spread its arms out, empty-handed. Asriel relaxed slightly and looked around, wondering if Frisk or Sans had woken up yet. He swore he heard a muffled "Nyeh-heh-heh" from Papyrus's snoring.

"Howdy, Chara!" Asriel greeted jovially, trying his best to stall some time. "Clara isn't here today?" He hoped for something. Maybe some sort of shift or a change from Chara to Clara. Chara's face remained unchanged with not a flicker of hesistance in those eyes. Asriel felt his heart plunging from his chest. _Why didn't that do anything?_ He was starting to feel desperate.

"Of course I'm here," the child-thing spoke again, "why would I not be here?" Laughter echoed through the chasm as the fallen child shrieked with excitement. The child started to approach Asriel, arms stretched and still laughing. He slowly realized what that meant.

"You're just like your brother, aren't you?" Asriel asked as he slapped Chara's arms away. The monster looked back at him with amusement and nodded as it smiled ecstatically. Asriel swiftly picked up a jagged rock and took a few steps back, trying to get as much distance from Chara.

"I've always adored my brother," Clara stated, "and now we're back together." It started taking swift steps to Asriel, a wretched smile carved upon its face. _She did have pretty face, to be honest._ Asriel thought to himself. _Sorry and not really sorry for doing this, Chara._ His fingers curled around the jagged rock, raising it slowly behind him, making sure that Chara wouldn't spot whatever he was doing.

"Nothing will get in our way," a chorus of two voices sounded from the child's throat, "Not even you, brother." The monstrous thing charged at Asriel, hands raised to strike. Without the slightest of doubts, Asriel swung his arm and threw the rock with all his might, hoping that it would strike its wretched face.

The rock made its way past the claw-like arms of the fallen child, hurtling right for its right eye. Asriel heard the rock hit its mark and scrambled away from the child as he heard it shriek in pain.

"MY EYE!" a discordant duet of voices screamed in fury. The atrocious shrieks continued, echoing through the chasm. Asriel ran as quickly as his furry little legs could carry him, away from the monster of a human, back to his friends—if he could find them, that is.

"SANS! FRISK! PAPYRUS!" Asriel screamed, "IT'S HERE!" He had reached the bottom of the chasm once again, where all of them were supposed to have landed, based on the small circle of light in the ceiling. His heart leapt with gladness as he saw the familiar figures once again.

"oh hey, bucko," Sans spoke first, "we were wondering where you were," He waved slightly and smiled at him as usual. Unfortunately for Asriel, he didn't manage to notice a particular human hurtling at him, arms spread out for a hug.

"Don't disappear like that again," Frisk muttered, his face buried in Asriel's shoulder. Asriel placed a hand on Frisk's head and patted gently, reassuring him that he wouldn't do that ever again. A pair of long, bony arms grabbed the both of them tightly, and Asriel heard a familiar sobbing sound from behind.

"Nyoo-hoo-hoo," Papyrus cried, "Thank goodness we found you, Asriel. Or else the mighty Papyrus would have had to go seek for you." And for a moment, it seemed as if everything would have been okay, except for the fact that they were stuck in a hole and were about to be killed by a psychopathic child who suffered from multiple-personality disorder. Asriel quickly returned to his senses and remembered what they were going to encounter.

"Sans!" Asriel shouted, "I almost forgot! Chara's here!" As if on cue, the sounds of laughter and footsteps started getting closer to them. Papyrus released the kids and quickly stood beside his brother, preparing his attacks for Chara. Gasterblasters started swarming around them and bones with jagged edges began to appear magically from thin air. The footsteps grew closer and louder. Asriel and Frisk held onto each other, knowing that if they had to, they had their soul bonds to help them. When an eerie silence filled the stale air of the chasm, everyone froze, watching the wall of the far corridor. A humanoid shadow had stretched over the wall, and Asriel wondered what really went on in their head.

"I smell a few monsters, Clara," The voices cackled, no longer reflecting any sort of human nature within their tone. "And I've got a knife to hack them all up, Chara." A pale face popped from around the corner, watching everyone with its single red eye, a rock having replaced the other orifice. Frisk screamed in terror and gripped Asriel tightly. Sans and Papyrus begun their attacks as the monster watched, laughing hysterically.

* * *

After venturing through every room and having searched through every drawer and closet (the most scandalous being Alphys's sock drawer), Toriel and Asgore found one piece of evidence that could lead them to Alphys. It a sheet of parchment with a sort of coded language written on it, but Asgore recognized the writing.

"Entry 20," Asgore murmured, "I have found the demon's sister. She has lived her life in such sorrow and hopelessness that her soul lacks all determination. But if we can extract determination… I'm certain there's a way to put her together… I'm sure Alphys would help me… WDG." Asgore crushed the parchment as he snarled. Toriel understood now. All of this was still Gaster's doing.

"Why is he still plaguing us, Gorey?" Toriel queried, "I thought he would be gone forever…" Asgore shook his head and gave her a look of sadness. Even he didn't know what to make of it, but at least they knew who was really behind all of this.

"We haven't gone to the basement yet, have we?" Asgore asked, and Toriel nodded slowly. All of a sudden, tremors shook the house and the two of them flinched. Toriel knew those shaking had something to do with her children. She just knew. She quickly grabbed Asgore's hand and dashed for the basement, bounding down the stairs swiftly for her size. A thick, iron door stood before them, cold and shut tight. Toriel took a deep breath as she released Asgore's hand and walked up to the door, her hands on the door's surface.

"It'd take us a while to break this door down, Tori-" Asgore's words were cut off suddenly as Toriel cried out and thrust her hands on the door with a resounding thump. She repeated her thrusts, each consecutive thrust starting to break and crack the metal.

"Tori, please don't push-" Asgore had tried to speak again, but he was interrupted by the loud noise of the iron door crashing on the ground, dented and cracked. Asgore's eyes widened. Toriel looked back and gave a sweet smile. She motioned for Asgore to follow and he obeyed without another word.

"We must find our friends and our children," Toriel spoke, her voice unwavering and determined. Asgore summoned forth his trident, and he too walked along with her, readying himself for anything that could appear. He thought he could hear screams and shrieks, but he decided that he was imagining them. With Toriel by his side, he knew that they would be able to defeat all their foes. They were, after all, one of the best warriors in the Great War between humans and mosnters.

* * *

"Scream, my little warrior," Gaster hissed from Alphys's mouth. "Where is your beloved determination now?" Undyne's screams did not faze the scientist. Nothing ever did really. After getting scattered through various timelines and basically becoming a nonexistent entity, he certainly didn't have much to fear. Maybe except for his little nephews and those Dreemurr kids he so adored as specimens.

"You better… Stop this…" Undyne croaked, gasping for breath between every word. Chained to a surgical table, she stared at Alphys, whose eyes gleamed a ghostly yellow. Her skin no longer had the same, familiar buttercup yellow tone. It now seemed to glow an off-white color that looked like stale snow.

"I'm having lots of fun," Gaster declared, "aren't you?" He raised his arms and cackled. Undyne hated watching Alphys being controlled like this. She knew Alphys was somewhere in there, waiting to be saved. She could feel it. A faint heartbeat, but it was Alphys's nonetheless.

"Give Alphys back," Undyne murmured, struggling to break free of her restraints. She struggled and tried to move her limbs, but her body didn't respond. She couldn't move. She heard Gaster's giggling beside her. She strained to move her eyes to keep an eye on Gaster.

"I've always wondered," Gaster whispered, "how it would feel if I ripped your scales one by one." Gaster smirked as he held a gleaming, metallic object through Alphys's hand. The smile that was plastered on Alphys's face was not something Alphys would make. Undyne knew that. She knew this wasn't Alphys who was about to do this. She told herself that repeatedly.

"And how painful would that be if it's your loved one doing such a thing on you?" Gaster cackled loudly, eyes brimming with tears. Undyne hated watching Gaster do this with Alphys. She looked away as Gaster approached closer with the pair of pliers. She gritted her teeth and waited.

"Such beautiful scales," Gaster cooed as he placed a finger on Undyne's shoulder. This wasn't Alphys touching her on the shoulder. Undyne growled and tried to struggle. Still no response.

"ALPHYS!" Undyne screamed, "I KNOW YOU'RE THERE! YOU NEED TO FIGHT HIM, ALPH!" She called out for Alphys until her voice went hoarse. She waited for Alphys in the silence that followed. Undyne opened her eyes slowly and turned her head back to where Alphys would be standing.

"But she can't," Gaster wheezed, "and so nobody came." A sinister smile spread across Alphys's face. Undyne's heart plummeted down to her stomach. She shut her eyes tightly and cried out, fighting back the tears that she did not want.

"It's okay, Alphys," Undyne whispered, "It's alright." The pliers gripped the first of her scales and wrenched it out mercilessly. And then another, followed by more scales. The excruciating agony that followed gave way to screams that came from the warrior herself. With Gaster's sadistic laughter added to the screams, they sang a grotesque hymn that only delighted the monster the most.

* * *

Gasterblasters continued to fire their bluish rays relentlessly and the series of sharpened bones that hurtled at the fallen child with lightning speed were interminable. Both Papyrus and Sans had executed their attacks in unison, without a single break for Chara to respond or even avoid. When all the dust had settled, a field of bones lay before them, all embedded into the ground. The Gasterblasters had left craters of varying sizes in the ground, and the body of a child lay suspended in the air, bones protruding from every limb and almost every part of the body.

"Heh… Heh…." A faint, child-like voice gasped, "Monsters…" The bloodied face was no longer recognizable. Papyrus blocked the sight of the bloody mess from the children and Sans fired one last Gasterblaster at the pulpy mess that was once Clara, now a rather charred mess of flesh.

"i guess it's really now a 'chara-ed mess,' huh?" Sans made the worst possible joke in this situation. Papyrus screeched and threw a bone at Sans. Even Asriel and Frisk had to laugh at that. That is, until they heard a familiarly shrill laughter coming from the corridor where Chara had just exited. The four of them quickly grew silent and stared at the corridor, listening to the footsteps and laughter.

"Just when you thought you've got me," Chara spoke softly, "I'm back again." The same sinister smile sneered at them, and the fight restarted, just like a game. _Is this even possible, Frisk?_ Asriel asked. Frisk looked back at him with fear. He nodded ever so slightly.

"you should be burning in hell, kid," Sans stated, his eye sockets blazing a cold blue flame. A barrage of bones and energy blasts showered upon the thing, illuminating the chasm brilliantly. Sans's attacks sent tremors through the ground, rousing the very earth from peace. After the light receded and the dust had settled, not a single shred of Chara remained.

"it should… be dead," Sans muttered, collapsing suddenly. Papyrus caught Sans in the nick of time and supported his brother. Sans gave a reassuring grin and the children felt less frightened of the whole situation. _Something's still not right…_ Asriel thought to himself.

"I'll give you credit for being strong," a voice chirped, "but you can't keep that up forever, can you?" The same monstrous child popped out from around the corner, appearing before them like magic. And then another followed behind, followed by many others. Charas had now circled them, all smiling at them in the same way and gazing at them with those red eyes.

"Now what?" The abominations spoke in unison. "Will you die in our hands now?" All of them reached for their pocket and brandished a small dagger. Papyrus tried to hold his brother still while Frisk and Asriel stood together, tightly holding one another's hand. Something wasn't right.

"None of you have what we have," they stated maliciously, "determination. Ever since you've reached the human world, you've lost all sense of it, Frisk." Asriel closed his hand tightly around Frisk's. The circle of Charas closed in and Papyrus struck all of them with more bones he summoned. But Papyrus couldn't continue striking the endless stream of fallen children.

"The Great Papyrus shan't fall," Papyrus groaned as he continued his flurry of attacks. The smiling children had managed to slash and hack at all of them, inflicting scratches and scrapes in all of their limbs. Sans hung limply from Papyrus's shoulder, asleep amidst all the mess. Papyrus's attacks were starting to become sluggish. The sharp daggers of the monsters continued to draw dust and blood from them. There wasn't an end to the slashing and hacking.

"Perhaps... He could fall," Papyrus cried out weakly before collapsing on the ground, still holding tightly to Sans's body. And in that moment, all of the children stopped attacking. They looked at the fallen skeletons and cackled wickedly. Their laughters continued, echoing through the chasm in a multitude of voices. Asriel couldn't accept this. He didn't want to accept such a fate. He couldn't let this happen.

 _Frisk, I think we need to do something now,_ Asriel spoke silently. Frisk nodded and glared at the fallen children before them. They shut their eyes and quietly tapped into the souls that bonded them. They could feel their hearts beating as one, and their very minds had connected once again. Focusing on their souls, they once again merged themselves through magic. A blinding, golden light flooded the dark chasm and illuminated the snarling faces of the fallen children. They screamed and shrieked, blinded by the light. When they regained their sight, the fallen ones found themselves staring at a floating being that appeared to be both Frisk and Asriel.

"Ready to play, Chara?" Frisk and Asriel asked, smiling sweetly at the monsters around them. "I hope you can still hack and slash with that puny dagger of yours." The Charas sneered and charged at the Dreemurrs, screaming an unholy howl that reverberated through the darkness.

* * *

"Did you hear that?" Toriel asked softly as she trudged deeper and deeper into the laboratory with Asgore. Muffled screams emanated from somewhere deep within the lab and tremors shook the ground, almost unnoticeable. Asgore tightened his grip on his trident. The corridor they were walking through was unnaturally long, considering where they were—under a typical suburb.

"We must press on," Asgore replied gruffly, "our friends await us." Toriel smiled up at him and let her flames blaze even brighter, illuminating the deserted lab corridors. The cold, metallic walls glinted coldly as the walked past them as quickly a they could. They too arrived at the very chamber Undyne had traversed. They quickly found the hole in the floor and knew it was Undyne's work.

"Looks like fun," Asgore stated as he jumped into the hole. Toriel took a final glance around the room and jumped in after Asgore. And with that, they too had now joined as the last pieces to a game Gaster and Chara had created. But of course, neither of them knew that.

* * *

Alphys didn't do this. It wasn't her. It couldn't have been her. She wouldn't have done such a thing. Especially to someone like Undyne. But a voice within her told her otherwise. She screamed at the darker entity within her, crying out, asking why it was doing such a thing.

"Because it's fun, Alphys dear," Gaster cooed, his voice scraping against Alphys's throat. Alphys didn't want to hear such a voice coming out of her own self. She didn't want to see what her eyes had seen. The floor was littered with scales, bluish and shiny under the light. Dust had settled slowly on the table where Undyne lay. It broke Alphys's heart to see Undyne without most of her scales.

"Monsters are great for torture," Gaster cackled, "They don't bleed, unlike humans." Gaster held up a scale and held it in the light. A vicious smile fell upon Alphys's mouth, a smile that wasn't Alphys's. She asked if he could get out of her body. She received roaring laughter as a reply.

"Why Alphys," Gaster declared, "you invited me here after all!" Gaster pointed at the warrior on the table, unconscious. Alphys screamed back at the monster, saying that she had never done such a thing and she wouldn't have done that. Gaster shook his head.

"Then why, my little scientist," Gaster sneered. "Were you trying to continue my work?" Gaster picked up a document and flipped it open. It said, "Determination Project—Restoration and Annihilation" on the front. Alphys felt her soul grow cold and dead. She didn't think that would have invoked Gaster again.

"Alas, Alphys, it is you that always picks up my pieces and puts me in this timeline over and over again," Gaster spoke triumphantly, his yellow pupils glowing in Alphys's eyes. But Gaster wasn't wrong. She had been working on the project for the past few months in secret. No one else knew about it. No one could know about it.

"'Restoration through determination—the process of using extracted determination to bring a soul back to life by turning time,'" Gaster stated, "But at what cost?" Alphys could feel her soul shaking with sin. She didn't want to hear that. Gaster continued to talk.

"'Annihilation—stored determination can create a highly exothermic reaction simply from being touched slightly,'" Gaster paused. "'Any living thing within a hundred meter radius of the determination will dissipate into the many timelines of the world.'" Gaster smirked as he read that line. Alphys wanted to hide. She didn't want to listen to the things Gaster was making her say through her own body.

"What exactly were you trying to do, my little helper?" Gaster whispered as he trudged up to the table where Undyne lay. Alphys receded back into her mind, further away from Gaster's mental grasp. If he knew, it would be the end of it all.

"I see," Gaster spoke, "But that doesn't matter, as long as I have access to those determination you've been sapping from everyone since the beginning." Alphys felt her mind growing numb after hearing that. She didn't understand how he knew about that.

"But of course, you'd store them in your own special and cruel way—flowers," Gaster finished his thought. He stood beside surgical table with something hefty in his hand. Alphys could feel it too, but she couldn't see what it was.

"Come on Alphys, you need to look at it," Gaster spoke, "after all, you'll be the one doing it." Gaster snickered and Alphys found a large, serrated saw in her hand. She screamed as loud as she could in her mind, she protested and struggled to regain control of her hand. Her own hand started moving to Gaster's accord and hovered over Undyne's neck.

"So my little assistant," Gaster purred in a dangerously low voice that didn't sound like Alphys's voice at all. She tried to stop herself. She tried everything. She cried out and howled in her mind.

"You ought to tell me a little quicker," Gaster hissed as he lowered Alphys's arm. The saw started to move downwards, trembling and shaking with every inch. Alphys fought as hard as she could. She did whatever it took to stop that arm of hers from Gaster's control.

"Alphys…" Undyne whispered weakly, her eyes barely open. Alphys felt her heart breaking upon hearing her name. She called out for Undyne's name. Not a word came from her mouth. Gaster had to make this moment painful for both of them.

"You gotta stay strong, Alph," Undyne murmured. She did not flinch a single bit when the cold metal blade touched her neck. Alphys felt her heart shattering into a million pieces. She wasn't going to kill Undyne like this.

"You're not going to be able to do anything," Gaster declared, "all of this will end as long as you tell me where you've kept the determination." Alphys strained her soul and did everything to get rid of Gaster from within her. Just as she thought she had made some progress on breaking free of Gaster, her arm moved by a fraction of an inch.

"Oh dear," Gaster said sardonically, "I might have sliced into our lovely warrior a little." Alphys didn't want to hear him. She focused on breaking into Gaster's consciousness within her. She couldn't reveal everything to him yet. At least not to anyone else. She felt as if she had regained control over her arm, but then a wall of mental force blocked her and pushed her back into the recesses of her mind. Gaster had complete control over her.

"I'll give you three seconds," Gaster announced, "your little game is growing very tiring." Alphys felt a chill and begged Gaster. She pleaded for Undyne's safety. She demanded that Gaster would let her go without another scratch if she revealed where she had hidden all of her determination.

"I promise," Gaster smirked, "and you will have your body back as well, Alphys." His words sounded true and right to Alphys. Because that was all that mattered to her as of now—Undyne's safety. Right when she was about to tell Gaster, a huge fireball came flying towards her and knocked Alphys's body down on the ground.

"I deeply apologize, Alphys, if I hurt you," A familiar, motherly voice floated towards her. Alphys felt hope within herself again. She could sense that Gaster was outraged and didn't understand how they had managed to get here.

"That's not Alphys, Tori," Asgore reasoned with her, holding out a trident. "That's Gaster within her." Gaster glared at them and threw the saw at Asgore, but the saw bounced off of Asgore's trident and skidded into the darkness.

"You," Gaster breathed angrily, "Don't you dare think you'll make it out of here alive, Dreemurr." Yellow pupils gleamed wrathfully from Alphys's eyes and Gaster stood a few meters away from the king and queen.

"The dead should stay dead, Wingding," Asgore announced gruffly and pointed his trident at Gaster. Alphys felt a little afraid, knowing that she too will feel whatever pain Gaster feels. If only there was a way to get rid of him before Asgore did anything too drastic.

"Do you really think you can hurt me when I'm in your precious scientist's body?!" Gaster cackled as he raised his hand to call upon his own weapons. Toriel, who had been silently watching all this time stepped in front and spread her arms open for Alphys.

"Alphys, we're here to save you," Toriel spoke warmly, "I don't know how I'm going to save you, but we will do so without hurting you." She started moving her arms and summoned ropes of bright red flames. Asgore looked at his wife with wonder.

"Do you think I will stand here still as a statue for you to do that, your highness?" Gaster sneered as he jumped from table to table and blasted Gasterblaster after Gasterblaster at the two of them. Alphys felt her heart stop. She didn't know if they could survive such an attack. Darkness had settled in wherever they had been standing. Everything was silent.

"We are boss monsters for a reason, Gaster," Asgore stated nonchalantly from the darkness. Flames leapt up at Gaster and ensnared him, restraining him and pulling him down to the ground.

"Give Alphys back to us, you monster," Toriel demanded coldly, glaring into one of Gaster's yellow eyes. Alphys felt her heart swelling with joy and relief, thinking that she would be saved now. Her friends had come for her after all.

"You're all idiots, aren't you?" Gaster asked, amused by all this. He looked up at the two monsters that towered before him. Alphys didn't understand how he still could laugh at them when he had no chance of fighting them.

"It was she who called me here, and it was she who has called me every time," Gaster declared finally, and Alphys finally understood what he was going to do. He would not let Alphys be saved after all. He would make her friends turn against her.

* * *

Thanks for waiting all this time to read my chapter! I really appreciate it and again, I'm truly sorry for making all of you wait... I hope to be back with a better update next month! Thanks!


	22. Chapter 21 - LOVE

Hey guys! I'm back! Finally! Thank you for waiting, I can totally imagine the amount of pain and anguish all of you went through. I totally do. My summer vacation has officially begun, and I really do hope I can come up with more chapters than I can. Having gone past the 20th chapter, I don't even know how many more chapters I'll create. But really, summer vacations are a literal blessing from whatever god out there.

If you have a hard time keeping up with the story, I'm really sorry... It's either:

 **1\. I don't update fast enough**

 **2\. Story progression is slow**

 **3\. Too much dialogue (?)**

Or probably some other thing that really affects the overall flow of the story. Reading the previous chapters again is a pain, and I'm sorry to have to make some of you do that due to the slow updates... :( It's just that I don't exactly have a plan for writing this fanfic. I just write whatever I can come up with within a week or so. Probably that's why.

But overall, I'm so grateful for all of you that still stick to the story and read it and love it, I'm honestly so happy to see that. :)

Undyne: Yeah, okay that's all great, but did you really have to-

Alphys: NO SPOILERS FOR THIS CHAPTER UNDYNE

Undyne: oH

Toriel: My child, I hope you do write something nice one day.

Asgore: Maybe you need a cup of tea.

Sans: or maybe

Sans: you just

Sans: want a

Sans: bad time?

Papyrus: Shut up Sans.

Asriel: *looks at Frisk*

Frisk: *glances at Asriel*

But without further delay, here's the next chapter!

* * *

 **Chapter 21 – LOVE**

Hearing the screams and shouts nearby, Sans groaned as he opened his eyes slowly. The short break he took obviously wasn't sufficient since he couldn't move his body. His bones ached, and he knew he was _bone-_ tired. He heard his brother snoring softly beside him, and Sans felt a sense of relief wash over him. But besides that, he struggled to move and looked for the children. Leaning against a rock, he spotted the familiar figure of Asriel Dreemurr destroying all the fallen children with ease. He felt a sense of pride as he watched Asriel and Frisk working together. He smirked as he threw himself back on the ground and closed his eyes, knowing that he could comfortably take another break.

* * *

"Getting tired now, Chara?" Asriel sneered, raining down even more stars in the chasm, filling every space with brilliant light. Having attained this form of Asriel Dreemurr through their soul bonds, Asriel knew their magic could turn the odds to their favor now. The monsters hissed and shrieked, each of them turning into dust and dissipating. The aberrations came in waves, and their numbers started to dwindle. The slashing and hacking of each Chara started to grow slightly slower. The smiles on their faces still remained.

"I won't be defeated by something like you, Asriel!" Chara screamed as five of them swung their daggers simultaneously at the Dreemurrs. They vanished in time and managed to teleport safely to a rock a few meters away from the monstrous children.

 _Asriel, I think we need to find the real body of Chara to end this all,_ Frisk spoke in their mind. Seeing that all of the Charas they had obliterated turned to dust, the only way to win was to find the real Chara. Asriel smirked and started casting more spells. The chasm rumbled with magical lightning and fire, turning every single Chara clone into ashes. Asriel made his way through the dust and walked into the corridor from which the fallen children came charging at them. The passageway soon opened up to a brightly lit chamber filled with red flowers. Halogen lamps cast a blindingly white light on the ground, shining upon a single figure in the middle of all the flowers.

"I think we've already found him, Frisk," Asriel stated, taking a step into the bed of flowers. The small figure ahead twirled around and waved. Instead of the usual green and yellow striped sweater with brown shorts, the child had donned a red dress. Her brown shoulder-length hair gleamed in the light, and her red eyes had a sparkle of mischievousness to them. Even through their souls were in two, the body was still Clara's.

"Howdy, Asriel and Frisk," The true monster greeted, the unnatural smile still stuck on its face. "We were wondering when you'd ever get here." Asriel took another step forward. He could feel Frisk in his mind, helping Asriel to be as calm as possible.

"To think that the two skeletons were knocked out before they even reached us," it stated playfully, "We're not impressed at all, right Clara?" It cackled and tossed its hair. It suddenly bent down and plucked a red flower.

"Remember how I told you those golden flowers Father took care of were my favorite?" It asked with a sneer. "That was a lie, you pathetic monsters. I hate those flowers." It sniffed at the flower and tossed it.

"None of you ever knew me properly. I was just the first human child that fell into the Underground, wasn't I?" It stated coldly. "The poster child of the whole 'Peace-with-the-Humans' plan." Asriel gritted his teeth and took another step forward. The monster stood just a few meters away now.

"But did anyone even know that both monsters and humans were the reason why I fell?" It spoke suddenly, its eyes devoid of all happiness. "My father was a monster. My mother was a human. My father was killed by the humans, and my mother had abandoned me before anyone knew. I lived alone, despised by all humankind I met. And I cursed them every day. If monsters hadn't existed, I wouldn't have been born that way and suffered all that too." Asriel didn't take another step. He never knew about this.

"I promised to destroy humanity as well as monsterkind for making me live this sort of life." The child declared ruthlessly. "But in another way, I should thank them for shaping me as to who I am today. With so much LOVE, I can do so much more already." It smirked and bent down on the ground, picking up a dark object.

"So would you die for me now, Dreemurrs?" The fallen child brandished the sharp knife at Asriel and Frisk. It swung it once and started taking slow steps towards Asriel. With each step, the red flowers started to shrivel up and die. The smell of death hung in the air, and hatred clung behind the fallen child like a poisonous miasma.

 _Stay determined,_ Frisk murmured to Asriel, _I'll never stop hoping._ A smile tugged at Asriel's face as he heard those words. He summoned his Chaos Sabers and held them out, ready to strike the sinful child at any moment. He wasn't going to let Chara progress any further than he already had. This was going to be the end of it all.

* * *

"You're lying," Asgore growled, "Alphys would never do such a thing." Alphys heard the words and felt her soul glowing with energy once again. Gaster laughed mechanically and threw back his head. Gaster picked up a sheet of paper from a nearby desk and threw it at Toriel. Alphys felt her soul freezing in place as she caught a glimpse of it. Gaster had calculated everything already.

"Then why does our lovely Dr. Alphys have this?" Gaster smirked as he asked them, knowing the document much better than Alphys herself. Toriel's hands shook as she finished skimming through the paper. Asgore's eyes turned darker as he read over Toriel's shoulder.

"This isn't hers," Toriel murmured, "It can't be. She didn't do this. She wouldn't do this." Gaster snorted and summoned more of his Gasterblasters. Toriel dropped the sheet of paper and rained down fireballs upon the wretched scientist.

"'Project Determination II – Annihilation of Humanity,' by Dr. Alphys," Gaster declared, his voice brimming with joy for once. Alphys didn't want to hear that. That wasn't the reason why she picked up Gaster's work. She didn't have such a purpose in mind. She thought of that and continued to strike her soul against Gaster's own defenses around his soul. She had to break through this all and explain everything, justify herself again.

"'The purpose of this research is to devise a way to use determination against humans themselves,'" Gaster quoted, "Is there anything that could truly be better than this, your majesty and your highness?" Alphys could imagine what sort of face Gaster had made through her own face. She hated that thought. That gloating face only Gaster could ever make through someone else's face. She continued to smash the wall that protected Gaster's black and corrupted soul.

"Can you just shut up for once, Gaster?" Toriel spat out fiercely and blasted pillars of flames all over the place. Gaster sidestepped and evaded most of them, save for one that grazed him, singing off a part of the lab coat. Spotting a trident descending upon him, Gaster quickly summoned his Gasterblaster forth and shielded himself. The skeletal weapon shattered into pieces with a raucous crash.

"Your lies won't fool us twice, Gaster," Toriel spoke angrily. "We won't let you see your plans bearing fruit once more." Alphys had never heard Toriel speak in such a harsh manner. She knew that if Toriel could manage to put up such a courageous façade, she needed to as well. The cracks in Gaster's walls finally grew and widened from that last effort Alphys made to overcome her enemy within her ownself. The blackened soul was in sight.

"Say Gaster," Asgore stated with a smile, "do you know why Toriel and I are boss monsters?" He continued to slash his trident, and Gaster swiftly evaded them all somehow, even in Alphys's body. Gaster frantically searched for a weapon.

"Maybe you'll figure it out soon enough," Asgore stated curtly and stepped back, allowing a wall of flames to surround the wretched scientist. Magical flames blazed in fury everywhere, and Gaster was cornered. In a way, it was his fault for taking over Alphys's body. He couldn't really do much in Alphys's body in the first place.

* * *

Meanwhile, Alphys approached the darkened soul that barely kept its shape, made up of shards and pieces of a soul. She felt her soul shudder and tried her best not to cower away from such a malevolent force. She tried to think of her friends again. She thought of how much Undyne suffered. And with that, she knew she could overcome that pathetic scientist of a monster.

 _Never knew I could fight, Gaster?_ Alphys declared triumphantly as her soul started to glow and illuminate the darkness. The sort of love she had for everyone had to overcome the LOVE Gaster accumulated. She felt her hopes and dreams rising within her soul, ready to-

 ** _DO YOU REALLY THINK THIS IS ONE OF YOUR HAPPY STORIES?_** A far too familiar voice sounded, and the darkness returned, crippling Alphys's soul. **_AS IF YOUR LITTLE HOPES AND DREAMS HAD A CHANCE TO BEGIN WITH, ALPHYS._** And everything quickly turned pitch black, snuffing out all light and taking Alphys's little soul along with it.

* * *

Gaster snapped his fingers and the flaming walls dissipated immediately. Toriel and Asgore stood there, dumbstruck. The ex-scientist's eyes turned black and held a glowing yellow pupil in each eye. Alphys wasn't in there anymore.

"Truly a pity," Gaster spoke devilishly, "she was such a brilliant little girl. Now she's not even here." He then started to laugh hysterically, and the laughters echoed through the room. Toriel and Asgore stood still as statues, their eyes wide in absolute fear and disbelief over what Gaster had just said.

* * *

Sounds of metal hitting metal reverberated through the chasm in rapid intervals, almost without any pauses between each hit. Asriel parried every single blow that Chara landed, and Chara had managed to do the same with Asriel's blows. The fight wasn't going to cease anytime soon, and it could have gone on forever.

"Stop getting in my way, Asriel!" Chara screeched. "You can't even understand why I'm doing all of this and even working with that Gaster to do this." Asriel gritted his teeth and slashed at the child, who blocked it without much effort. Asriel held his stance and quickly brought down his other saber down on Chara's leg. As the blade struck flesh, the fallen abomination shrieked in agony.

"You have no right to harm more people now," Asriel scowled, "you've done enough, haven't you?" Chara's red eyes glinted with excitement and deftly slashed the saber out of the way, sending it spinning away from Asriel. Chara laughed and pressed its knife on Asriel's throat. It reached its hand out to touch the horns that grew out of Asriel's head.

"It's been a while since I've last seen this form of you," Chara muttered, "Sort of fits you nicely." Asriel tried to keep his face composed. He could hear Frisk screaming at Chara from within, and he slapped the hand away from him. Chara snickered and took the knife away from Asriel.

"But unfortunately for you…" Chara sneered with a cold smile on his face. "I've got the higher LOVE." It vanished out of sight and suddenly appeared right beside Asriel, the knife in its hand ready to strike Asriel. Frisk felt a sense of dread and tried to help. He tried to reach out from his mind and do something as well, before the knife struck his brother. The knife barely glanced Asriel's neck. Chara looked at the knife curiously and suddenly scrunched its face and glared at Asriel and Frisk.

"You…" Chara glowered, its voice dangerously low. "Don't you DARE make fun of me, Asriel!" It started to slash and swing madly, and for some reason the empty space where Chara swung the knife in started to distort and change, as if it flowed differently from the rest of the air.

"Better start dodging," Chara laughed as it swung the knife upwards. A series of red slashes travelled through the air and swept past where Asriel was standing. Seems like Chara also knew how to wield magic to his own advantage as well. He was, after all, partly a monster. Magic was something he could control.

"We actually loved you, Chara," Asriel cried out, wanting to make Chara understand somehow. "All of us thought of you as one of us even though you hated everyone." The child's red eyes dimmed slightly. For a creature that didn't understand what love was, it did receive an abundance of it during its lifetime.

"Don't lie to me, Dreemurr," Chara growled, "only my sister exists to love me. No one else did." It continued to swipe more slashes in the air, ready to strike Asriel and Frisk once more. Asriel snapped his fingers and rendered all of Chara's spells useless. The slashes vanished into thin air and Chara scowled at Asriel.

"I don't need something as useless as love, Asriel," The monster spoke in a dangerously low voice. "I just need more LOVE. Then I'll be able to rule this disgusting place and kill everything. I'll change the universe. I'll make sure to vanquish love. It'll never exist." The fallen child smiled broadly and charged at Asriel, holding its dagger straight in front.

 _Asriel, move!_ Frisk shouted from within their mind. _What are you trying to do?!_ Their body didn't move. Frisk wasn't in control of that. Asriel didn't say anything. After all he had done, Chara still didn't understand him. It seemed as though there was nothing to help that.

"Goodbye, Chara," Asriel murmured and vanished instanteously from his spot. Chara thrusted the dagger at that exact moment, piercing nothing but air. It screeched and screamed in rage. It didn't sense Asriel appearing right behind him.

"At least stay dead this time," Asriel stated and swung his saber at the fallen child. The caverns echoed with the sickening sound of metal hitting flesh briefly. The blade had cut clean through the abomination's neck, and its head tumbled onto the ground with a dull thud. Asriel swiftly looked away and started walking away, allowing his saber to disappear.

 _He's gone now, right?_ Frisk asked carefully. _It's finally over._ He figured Asriel would have had a bit of a hard time in dealing with this, knowing that Chara and he used to be the closest of friends and brothers. Frisk didn't really know what to say.

"I'm okay, Frisk," Asriel muttered, his dark eyes blinking rapidly, as if he were trying to contain his tears. "You matter so much more to me." And with that, they continued to trudge back to where Sans and Papyrus would be. He suddenly stopped in his tracks.

"Frisk," Asriel spoke softly, "did you hear its soul shatter?" Asriel felt a sense of panic settle within his mind. He had missed that important detail. He didn't want to think of the worst happening. Just as Frisk was about to answer, they heard a rustle.

"Leaving so soon?" Chara asked, walking up to them slowly with a huge grin on its face. Its neck was still bloody and barely attached. The red dress it wore had become tattered and torn from the fighting. But its face remained the same—possessing a malicious and demonic look. Asriel took a few steps back. Frisk tried not to scream within their minds.

"It's only _just_ begun," Chara declared with a flourish, holding onto the dagger. It dashed as quick as lightning at Asriel and slashed its dagger right at Asriel's throat. Frisk cried out from their minds.

* * *

On the other side of the chasm, where Undyne still lay unconscious and chained to a surgical table, Gaster surrounded the royal couple with his blasters. Toriel and Asgore cried out for Alphys, continuously calling out her name, wanting to let her know that they were here for her.

"Fools," Gaster muttered as he snapped his fingers. The Gasterblasters fired all at once, and Asgore quickly shielded Toriel with his own body, managing to protect his wife from the full brunt of the attack. Asgore promptly slumped against his wife and smiled a big, toothy grin.

"Gorey…" Toriel whispered as she held her lover's face in her hands. "You better not die on me right now." Asgore nodded and drifted off into unconsciousness. Toriel placed him gently on the floor and stood up, glaring at Gaster all the while. She felt anger and rage roiling within her, ready to vanquish her opponent.

"Do you think you can defeat me, W. D. Gaster?" Gaster shouted victoriously, as if he had already won the whole battle. He laughed at the sight of Toriel, standing all by herself. He summoned forth his magical weaponry once more. Just as he was about to unleash his attack, all of his Gasterblasters were incinerated and they disintegrated into ashes. Gaster froze in place with wide eyes as he watched his weapons turn into mere ashes.

"Don't you think, Dr. Gaster," Toriel replied calmly, "that the sight of things burning and turning into ashes is the most beautiful thing ever?" Not a single emotion crossed the usually tender and loving face of hers. Her eyes only reflected the flames that blazed between the two of them.

"It's been a while since I've done this," the queen stated, "With Asgore's flower garden and the children, I never had the chance to do this." As she began to float in the air, bright orange flames danced around her, ready to incinerate anything in sight. She had begun her rampage.

"I must thank you, Gaster, for letting me have this opportunity to remember the past once more," Toriel declared with a smile on her face. She waved a hand and a pillar of fire erupted right where Gaster stood. The scientist in Alphys's body let loose an unholy screech.

"Are you ready to have an unpleasant time?" Toriel asked sweetly, still smiling. She brought her hands up and illuminated the entire chamber with her fire. With her eyes twinkling like her flames, she knew she'd enjoy this particular battle immensely.

* * *

 _Before Alphys became the Royal Scientist, she resided in Hotlands with her collection of anime and comics. She had learned everything the Underground's most prestigious educational systems could offer, but she hadn't gained anything in terms of relationships or just life in general. She was just another unusually bright monster in the Underground. She decided to just simply live a simple life once again, watching every single season of Mew Mew Kissy Cutie out there. She didn't feel like doing anything. She just wanted to let go of everything._

 _Amidst all of this hopelessness, she remembered hearing something. A question she was asked when she was in the middle of buying her daily sustenance—cup noodles—at the store. She heard the question loud and clear even in the bustling atmosphere of the store._

 _"Aren't you Alphys?" A voice asked her amidst the crowds. With fifteen cup noodles in her arms, Alphys turned to look at the monster who called out for her. She found a white porcelain face staring back at her with glowing yellow eyes._

 _"Y-Yes… D-Do you need anything…? I-I'm pretty sure I've p-paid my rent…" Alphys stammered out, wondering if her landlady in Hotland had become slightly impatient. The white-faced monster shook his head genially and smiled at her._

 _"Would you like to be my assistant, Alphys?" The monster replied in a deep voice. He held out a hand with a hole in the middle of his palm. Alphys looked at him and the hand tentatively. Holding fifteen cup noodles and having to answer that was certainly awkward. She knew she had seen that face once in her life. A face she had seen quite a lot._

 _"Trying to remember me?" The monster asked kindly as he produced a little business card from his pocket. Alphys took it carefully and looked at the card that held one single name in black ink._

 _"Gaster," Alphys muttered. Realization hit her like a wave as she remembered who this Gaster was. She felt awestruck, being able to see Gaster himself right in front of her. She dropped her cup noodles in excitement._

 _"Y-You want m-me to be your assistant?!" Alphys asked, her voice quivering. Finally her intelligence could be used for something actually productive. She had a million ideas buzzing through her mind. She felt happiness as she held the monster's hand and agreed to be his assistant._

* * *

The memory passed by her like a movie, and Alphys looked around, trying to figure out where on earth she was. Since she was still in her soul form, she knew she hadn't exactly defeated Gaster's soul. But she didn't know her mind had somewhere this cold and dark.

 _Is this where I will stay and fade away? Within my own self?_ Alphys asked no one in particular. She felt a sense of hopelessness and absolute remorse crushing her soul. She had to endure it if she wanted to see her friends. And Undyne.

 _Do I really want to see them again?_ Alphys asked herself, remembering all that had just happened. Undyne's torture, the documents, and her research—would her friends still want her back? She didn't know if she could really live normally with them again. She wondered what they thought of her.

 _Maybe it's a bit better off if I don't…_ Alphys thought as she floated off to find a comfortable place to rest her soul forever. The neverending darkness swallowed up all hopes and dreams here. Nothing existed here.

 **ALPHYS! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!** A familiar voice shouted from above, calling out to her. She recognized this voice. She drifted upwards, pulled by the sheer force of this voice calling for her. Who was it again?

 **NGAAHH! Alphys! This isn't you!** The voice screamed at her gruffly. Alphys felt warmer from hearing those words. **Our Alphys is passionate! She always gives everything she does her all!**

 _Undyne?_ Alphys asked the voice within her. She couldn't believe Undyne was here. She knew it wasn't possible for Undyne to be here, where her soul lay. It just didn't make sense to her.

 **Well who else can it be, Alph?** Undyne asked with a chuckle. Alphys couldn't spot Undyne's soul anywhere, but she knew Undyne was somewhere out there. She tried to apologize, but Undyne quickly stopped her.

 **Save them for later, Alph. Right now, you need to beat this crap of a scientist that's controlling you.** Undyne declared, and Alphys could picture that smile Undyne always had on her face. Alphys rose above the darkness, reaching for her mind where Gaster's soul resided.

 **I know you can do this, Alph.** Undyne stated loudly and faded away, allowing Alphys to go forth and reclaim her body and mind. Alphys thanked Undyne silently and advanced, ready to face the monster who had once given her hope in her life. It was time for her to get her hopes back from that same monster.

* * *

 _ASRIEL!_ Frisk screamed within them as the dagger's blade almost dug through Asriel's throat. It was instead blocked off by something invisible and stopped before it could bury itself into Asriel's skin. Frisk felt relieved as he watched the knife slide right away from them. Chara scowled at them and screamed in frustration.

"Why can't I kill you?!" Chara shouted angrily, slashing at Asriel blindly. Its dagger simply refused to strike or even touch Asriel's very fur. None of its attacks were working. Frisk felt as if this occurrence had something to do with him.

"Because of Frisk," Asriel replied simply, "as long as I have him, you're never going to make a scratch on me." Chara had the most incredulous look on his face with those widened red eyes. Asriel smiled mischievously and casted his spells once more.

"That's not possible," Chara muttered quickly, "It's not possible. Y-You don't even have as much LOVE as I do. You don't even have as much Determination as I do." Chara didn't even bother dodging. All the stars and lightning had hit Chara, but it didn't utter a single sound. Smoke and dust billowed in the cavern, shrouding Chara for a moment. Asriel could smell burnt flesh in the air. He took a step back and readied his next series of spells.

"YOU CAN'T POSSIBLE DEFEAT ME, YOU SCUMS!" Chara screamed, and the dust cleared to display the aberration in its grisly glory. The red dress it wore was burnt up in various places, and its face had melted into a grotesque mask of fury and horror. The fallen child's body couldn't take in so much damage after all. Most of its features had melted off to form an apt face for a soulless creature.

"I AM THE GOD OF THIS WORLD, DO YOU HEAR?!" The monster screamed, its voice now raspy and throaty. It stumbled to get to its feet and slashed at the air, immediately launching its spells at Asriel and Frisk.

"What god are you without love?" Asriel mocked, dodging the series of slashes with relative ease. He unleashed more of his meteors and stars, barraging the monstrous child.

"You still can't understand love, Chara," Asriel spoke, with a look that despised the fallen child. "You're still a kid. Isn't it about time you just stop?" Chara froze and looked at Asriel with its red eyes buried deep within its melting face. It started to cackle with absolute joy.

"WHY DON'T YOU JUST BOW DOWN ALREADY, ASRIEL?" Chara screamed, "YOU CAN'T OVERPOWER ME WITH YOUR MEAGER DETERMINATION." Just as it took a step closer to Asriel and Frisk, it stumbled and fell, landing on the ground with a splat.

 _Oh no,_ Frisk murmured, _i-it's started now._ Asriel tilted his head and watched what was happening to Chara. Its facial features continued to melt like ice cream, rolling down his very head. Its body began lose physical shape, moving in large droplets down the body. The thing groaned and moaned, as if it were calling for help. But no one came for it. It continued to melt, with its red eyes staring right at Asriel. And moments later, the fallen child had turned into a mere puddle of organic material, with the red dress and dagger resting right above it.

 _I-It's over!_ Frisk shouted gleefully within their minds. Asriel smiled weakly, but he still trudged right up to whatever remained of Chara. There on top of the dress lay a blackened soul, crumbling away and disintegrating.

"We've still got to do this," Asriel stated as he picked up the dagger from the ground. "And then this would be the last of Chara that we'll see." Asriel raised the dagger up and swung it downwards swiftly. The dagger pierced the soul, and the soul shattered into millions of pieces that turned into dust.

"Too much determination didn't do you any good, did it?" Asriel asked as the soul pieces turned to dust and dissipated. Frisk agreed with Asriel and asked if Chara would ever come back again. Asriel thought for a moment.

"Nah, he won't be coming back for sure," Asriel murmured. Feeling the need to somehow encourage Asriel, Frisk tried to tell Asriel how amazing he was during the entire battle. Asriel laughed out and closed his eyes as he leaned against a rock.

 _Think we can stay in this form for a little longer?_ Frisk asked cautiously, wanting to stay with Asriel in mind and body. Exhausted, Asriel agreed as he soon drifted off to sleep. Frisk did his best to calm Asriel's mind.

 _You really were amazing there, Asriel._ Frisk murmured to his already sleeping brother. For the time being, they were staying together like that. For Frisk, being able to be with Asriel gladdened and relieved him. Through the entire battle, he was worried that they might have died. But with those fears conquered now, he knew he could stay content and joyful. And with that, the two Dreemurrs soon drifted off to sleep, in the hopes that Sans and Papyrus would find them first before anyone else.

* * *

Sans found himself trudging through a land where ketchup and hotdogs flowed, the perfect paradise for someone just like him. He wondered if the kiddo and everyone else were here to enjoy all of this. He could throw away all his worried and all, putting them all behind him and simply lavishing this moment he was given. He scooped up a handful of the ketchup from a nearby stream and quaffed the thick red liquid. Truly, it was heaven.

"SANS!" A familiar voice shouted, "YOU SHOULD GET UP NOW!" He didn't understand why this was being said. Wasn't he awake already? He looked around the pinkish landscape for the person or monster who said that. He tilted his head, puzzled and befuddled.

"WAKE UP SANS YOU LAZY IDIOT!" Sans felt his face being slapped. His cheeks stung and he felt his mind being lifted out of his little wonderland, the ketchup-hotdog heaven disappearing all of a sudden.

"SANS!" Papyrus screamed at Sans, who was still on the ground. Sans opened his eyes slowly and looked at his brother's face groggily. He looked around him and found the usual, dark, and dreary walls of the chasm greeting him. He frowned a little and sat up slowly, searching for the children. Papyrus shook his head, as if he already knew what Sans was trying to locate. Sans felt a sense of anxiety and despair settle within his stomach.

"p-papyrus, t-toriel's going to-" Sans spoke quickly, already picturing the sort of face Toriel would make when he told her about what happened to the kids. Papyrus patted his brother's back and smiled at him.

"I'm pretty sure we'll find them, Brother," Papyrus declared in an upbeat manner. "They might even just be over there!" Papyrus pointed at a corridor a little away from them. He hoisted Sans off the ground and started walking with his brother. As they began making their way to the darkened corridor, they could hear the sounds of someone breathing.

"That must be them!" Papyrus declared ecstatically as he quickly jumped past the corner. Sans reached out to stop Papyrus, but he was a bit too slow. He walked briskly to catch up to his brother and immediately bumped into him past the corner.

"why'd you suddenly stop, bro?" Sans asked, rubbing his face from the impact. He looked past his brother and found himself staring at the sight of a body laying on the ground. It was neither the size of Frisk nor Asriel.

"Brother, please tell me they're asleep," Papyrus spoke up after a moment of silence. "Also, are they even allowed to sleep in that form?" Sans didn't say anything. The two of them trudged up to the fallen body. Sans placed a hand on Asriel Dreemurr, sensing the pulse of a soul.

"They're alive," Sans stated. Papyrus sighed in relief and smiled happily. Sans stood up and looked around the chamber, searching for signs of the monster that plagued all of them. He couldn't find or sense anything else. While Papyrus busied himself with taking care of the children, Sans walked around, wondering what could have possibly happened to that monster. He suddenly heard a wet squelch upon treading on something. He had discovered the remnants of Chara. He quickly lifted his foot out of the disgusting remains of the abomination. Sans smirked and kicked the thing out of his way and walked back to where Papyrus and the children were. He snapped his fingers and the grounds rumbled as it swallowed up whatever remained of Chara.

"it's a success, alphys," Sans whispered to no one in particular and making sure no one would really hear it. His eye sockets glowed yellow momentarily and reverted back to their normal shade of white.

* * *

Well, that was Chapter 21, I hope you enjoyed it! As for the next chapter... I don't know... Sorry... But I updated this! :D

Please look forward to the next few chapters as well! Thank you so much for reading, feel free to leave a review to make a comment or a suggestion about the overall story and plot if you wish. I'll do my best to reply! ;)


	23. Chapter 22 - Control

Hello everyone! It really HAS been quite a while... I'm really sorry about almost a MONTH of waiting. I've tried to type up this chapter in whatever time I had, but I really couldn't quite manage it... Summer vacation was really busy and hellish for me, since I'm a high school student who needs to get prepared for literally all the tests in the world. Again, I'm so sorry for those who waited a lot, so I'll be sure to include a summary of what's happened so far and a bit of trivia, I guess. :)

 **Q and A Session (Responding to Reviews)**

So I've received a few reviews about including a new character, and really I commend you for the very detailed and creative idea, but I must kindly refuse it. I'm really sorry, but this fanfiction will only revolve around the characters that we all know are in the game.

 **Q: Do you have another fanfic profile?**

A: Yes and no. I used to write another type of fanfiction under another name, but that's long past and I'd much rather not think about them again. So this is the only fanfic profile I will use.

 **Q: How long until the next chapter?**

A: Patience, young grasshopper. (Honestly I have no idea how to answer that. As you can see my chapters can literally be updated anytime, but to be fair on my side, let's say it will take at least three to four weeks for me to update.)

 **Q: How about making some of the characters (i.e. Frisk, Sans) have really dark pasts so that you can give a good twist to this story, instead of the usual "Oh no Gaster/Chara is back?"**

A: That's actually really good input and if you have actually read the chapters a bit carefully, I have hinted at dark pasts for Sans. And no, this story won't simply be a series of "Oh no Gaster/Chara is back" even though it may seem to be so as of now. If you're a bit bored at the moment at how the story is going, my apologies. But since I have hinted at such "dark past" material in my previous chapters, I will incorporate them more. :)

 **~End of Q and A~**

Anyways, I hope you enjoy this chapter, it may seem a bit hastily written in some parts and a bit disconnected, since I did write this in major breaks and all. But please, do leave a review and all, I will appreciate all inputs. :)

 **Re-cap** : So basically after all the Gaster and Chara encounters, Asriel and Frisk falls into a chasm that suddenly appeared in their neighborhood, and everyone else also manages to go in there. Undyne was captured by Gaster, who possessed Alphys, and later is freed since Toriel and Asgore fight Gaster and Alphys is freed. But in that process, Asgore and Undyne are knocked out. Meanwhile Chara is defeated forever by our two Dreemurrs and they are very tired after that. They soon fall asleep. Sans and Papyrus on the other hand have a bit of a conflict awaiting them.

* * *

 **Chapter 22 – Control**

"Thank you beauties and gentlebeauties for watching, and as always," Mettaton declared as he struck a pose, "stay gorgeous!" Mettaton blew a kiss to the camera and remained in the pose. Behind the camera, Napstablook floated upwards and gave a weak smile. Mettaton started walking backstage to his room. He fished out his phone from his compartment and called his facorite skeleton. He hadn't been able to see Papyrus for a while due to his full-time job as an online celebrity who uploaded a wide range of videos from tutorials to DIY's and even Let's Plays. He really thanked Blooky for his unconditional support and help. It wasn't easy pleasing his humongous, international fanbase of a whopping fifty million subscribers.

 _Not picking up…?_ Mettaton wondered. Papyrus always picked up even before the call went through its third ring. For some reason that evening, the call was taken straight to his voice mailbox. Mettaton had a bad feeling about it. He dashed out of the room and headed for the door, giving Blooky a quick wave as he exited.

* * *

Flames surged from the ground and swept the ground in a blanket of orange and red, searing everything and engulfing all the furniture and equipment in the chamber. Fortunately for Toriel, she had managed to suspend Asgore from the ceiling by utilizing his cape and his trident to hold him in place. She truly thanked his tear-resistant cape for this miracle. As for Undyne, Toriel provided a magical barrier to keep her safe, knowing the fact that she could not handle the flames in any way. Through the corner of her eye, Toriel could spot Gaster barely making it in time to float upwards and avoid the flames. Irritated, she snapped her fingers and summoned millions of her fireballs. With a quick flip of her wrist, she sent each ball of flame flying to Gaster.

"My, your highness, you certainly haven't been lax in your training," Gaster sneered as he narrowly dodged the fireballs. He continued to dodge the flames deftly, but Toriel wasn't simply done with such basic attacks. She cracked a smile as she saw Gaster play right into her hands.

"But I'm pretty sure I mentioned the fact that none of your spells can-" Gaster stated arrogantly, only to be cut off due to a torrent of flames that blasted the entire area around him, bathing the wretched scientist in a column of fire. Toriel giggled as she sustained the flames for a good minute. Hopefully Alphys wouldn't be too angry at her for trying to burn her as well.

"That none of my spells can what, Gaster?" Toriel retorted, chuckling with a glint in her eyes. She hadn't felt such excitement since the Great War. She could feel her body come alive once again, and she recalled her eptithet in the battlefield—The Smiling Phoenix. An epithet she earned from being a pyromanic pyromancer and a (slight) sadist in the sense that she smiled whenever she set any living thing on fire.

"Perhaps..." Gaster wheezed, "I did underestimate you, your highness." He lay on the ground with his eyes closed. He coughed a couple of times and raised a hand. Toriel tilted her head, not quite understanding the gesture. She took a few steps towards the fallen scientist and looked upon the inhabitant of Alphys's body.

"Get out of there, now," Toriel commanded in a steely voice. Gaster smirked and gave a slight salute. Toriel couldn't stand seeing that monster any longer in her friend's body. She had had enough of this disgusting creature's schemes and malicious intents.

"I'll be back…" Gaster murmured, "In the form of something you adore greatly." Toriel couldn't quite catch the last few words, but Alphys's eyes no longer glowed a bright yellow. Her pupils returned to their usual black. Alphys gasped and took a few deep breaths as she blinked her eyes rapidly.

"Alphys?!" Toriel shouted, "Alphys, you're back!" Toriel immediately cradled the scientist in her arms and tried to comfort her. Alphys smiled weakly at her, and smiled, as if she knew that Toriel would come to her rescue.

"Th-Thank you, Toriel…" Alphys croaked, "I feel really warm right now too." She laughed weakly and Toriel grinned a little. She was doing her best to heal her, trying to alleviate the pain from the wounds she gained. It was inevitable, but Alphys understood.

"I-Is Undyne alright?!" Alphys queried suddenly, remembering what had happened. Toriel simply nodded genially and pointed at the same surgical table, undisturbed and perfectly intact. Her magical barrier had protected Undyne. Alphys stood up quickly and stumbled, her feet not quite cooperating with her. Toriel hoisted Alphys and brought her to Undyne who lay on the table, still unconscious. Alphys felt the tears escaping her eyes as she gazed upon Undyne's sleeping face. She couldn't bear looking at the patches of skin where her beautiful blue scales were missing. She hadn't done it, but she still felt it was her fault for making all of this happen to her friends.

"I-I'm so sorry, Undyne," Alphys whispered as she pressed her head against Undyne. "And thank you, for always helping me." Toriel felt her heart ache for the two of them. She trudged away from them, allowing Alphys to have a bit of time with her loved one. Toriel looked at the ceiling, sighing deeply.

"Oh Fluffybuns," Toriel muttered, "what will I ever do without you?" She floated upwards and swiftly pulled the trident out of the wall and held Asgore in her arms. Once they landed, Toriel pressed her lips on Asgore's forehead, her tears falling on Asgore's face as she watched him.

"Always the brave one, aren't you," Toriel whispered as she held her husband's face in her hands. She smiled a little and looked at him for a little longer, knowing that they were safe for now.

* * *

"Toriel? Asgore?" Mettaton shouted, "Frisk darling? Asriel dear?" He knocked on the door and waited for some response. The door didn't budge and there wasn't a sond that came from within the house. The longer he stood there, the stranger this entire situation seemed to Mettaton. He had already tried calling every one of them, including Sans (who rarely picked up), but no one responded. Mettaton scanned the entire house and searched for anything suspicious. He made his way to the backyard and stopped in his tracks.

"Why on earth…?" He whispered as he trudged closer to the large hole in the middle of the ground. Mettaton stared into the bottomless pit and tried not to think of the worst that could have occurred. He spotted a cellphone on the ground, one he could identify anywhere in the world—Papyrus's cellphone. He picked up the phone and switched it on, knowing full well what it would contain. The phone's screen showed thirty-five missed calls from Mettaton and eighty-three messages from him, all unread. Papyrus hadn't received his messages or calls the entire day after all.

Mettaton glanced at the hole and thought nothing more. It was certain that Papyrus had somehow fallen in that chasm. The ground rumbled beneath him, and sounds echoed far off in the chasm. Mettaton thought no more and dived into the hole, striking another pose, just in case paparazzis nearby had spotted him. (Unfortunately, this wasn't so.)

* * *

Papyrus stood constant vigilance over the children that lay before him. Thankfully, after falling asleep, their fused state of Asriel Dreemurr reached its limit and the two children were released from their bonds. Papyrus felt absolutely relieved over that, as he worried over how Toriel would even take the news that her children had somehow magically fused together for life.

"Sans?" Papyrus called out, wondering where his brother had gone. Something about Sans wasn't quite right that day. Papyrus knew his brother's behavior was _sans_ his usual demeanor. He cracked a smile at that little pun he'd made. Sans would have appreciated that as well.

"As long as the mighty Papyrus keeps watch over you two, everyone has to go through me to get to the both of you," Papyrus stated enthusiastically, trying his best to keep the atmosphere upbeat even by himself. He found himself humming one of Mettaton's songs in his debut album, _Mettaton._ He had lost his phone somehow during the day, so he couldn't even put on some music in this dark and dreary cavern. Rocks clattered in the distance, the sounds echoing through the cave. Papyrus turned his head quickly and immediately summoned up a row of sharp bones sticking out of the ground. Two circles of light glowed from the darkness, floating in mid air. Papyrus stood up slowly from where he was sitting. He held his hand out and prepared his next attacks. He was just about to release his attacks when he heard a sudden chuckle.

"Sans?" Papyrus called out, lowering his hand. The pair of glowing lights stepped out of the darkness, which turned out to be Sans without his usual smile for some reason. Something was definitely off with his brother.

"Yes, Pap?" Sans growled, his voice devoid of all the humor he'd exuded over the past few years. It was pretty damn obvious for Papyrus—this wasn't Sans at all. Papyrus swung his arm upward and the ground erupted with bones. Sans dissipated and avoided the attack with a chuckle. Papyrus looked around apprehensively, his eye sockets turning bright orange as he searched for his enemy.

"Did you know," A familiarly cold voice hissed from the darkness, "that you were always weaker than your brother?" The darkness started to grow and engulf Papyrus. He could see nothing but the endless blackness that surrounded him. A pair of yellow lights floated right in front of him. How could he forget those lights of that particular yellow?

"Give Sans back, Gaster," Papyrus declared, trying his best to sound unfazed. Gaster laughed softly, and he materialized right before Papyrus, still in Sans's body. Papyrus found himself locked under Gaster's gaze. He couldn't move or do anything.

"I did say I would be returning in the form of someone you adored, your highness," Gaster murmured, ignoring his nephew and test subject in front of him entirely. He knew Papyrus couldn't do anything in front of him anyways. Gaster placed a hand on Papyrus's chestplate.

"Why don't you cry out for your friends?" Gaster sneered, "No one will ever hear you." Papyrus shook his head and struggled to get out of Gaster's hold. He had to protect Frisk and Asriel too. He didn't have time for this.

"Let go of me," Papyrus declared, "I don't have time to play games with you, Gaster." Gaster's grasp on him vanished immediately and he collapsed on the ground, gasping for breath. With his body depleted of all energy, Papyrus lay still on the ground, looking down, away from the scornful face of Sans.

"Don't you ever wonder if your brother would get tired of protecting you, the weaker one?" Gaster spoke in Sans's voice, trying to rile Papyrus as much as he could, to see that sniveling, pathetic face only his nephew could make. He crouched down and tried to wrench Papyrus's face up towards him.

"Show me that pretty face of yours, Papyrus," Gaster demanded, a horrific smile spreading across his face—a smile that Sans would never have on his face. Papyrus resisted fiercely, his face never truly facing upwards at the monstrous being that now had control of his brother's body.

"Hey now, this isn't that difficult to do, is it-" Gaster couldn't finish his words, since he had just been hit by a particularly rectangular robot that hurtled right for him. With a brief interjection of pain, he flew straight across and crashed into a wall. Papyrus lifted his head cautiously from the ground, with dirt and gravel stuck to his face.

"Sorry I'm late, darling," A pompous voice spoke loudly, "did you miss me?" An attractive, rectangular robot stood before him now, panels flashing in various colors of white and yellow. Papyrus felt relieved at the sight of Mettaton. He felt the tears rushing to his eye sockets and gave a weak smile to Mettaton.

"What's up with Sans today, dear?" Mettaton asked as he held onto Papyrus's hands and lifted him from the ground. Papyrus staggered slightly, but managed to sit down on the ground without falling on the ground.

"Gaster's got to him," Papyrus whispered, "Even the magnificent Papyrus couldn't…" Mettaton hushed him with his finger and made a smiley face on his glowing panels. Papyrus looked at Mettaton with widened eyes.

"You really need to stop worrying, darling," Mettaton declared, his voice upbeat and cheerful. "That's why I'm here—to save the day!" He reached for a small switch on his neck and flipped it, instantly changing his form from the regular rectangle to his usual, humanoid form of Mettaton EX.

"Who the hell are you?" Gaster snarled as he stood up slowly, brushing the dust off of himself. Mettaton turned on his heels and struck a pose that Papyrus seemed to enjoy watching. But this wasn't exactly the time and place to marvel at whatever Mettaton had in store for him.

"How dare you not know me, you disgusting mongrel!" Mettaton screamed, offended by that remark. Extending his arm rapidly, Mettaton swiftly slapped Gaster in the face with a resounding, satisfactory smack that he'd always wanted to hear from Sans's face. (It was pretty obvious Mettaton was having the time of his life at this.) Papyrus simply watched the somewhat rare spectacle of Mettaton and his brother (now Gaster) fighting.

"Maybe this little battle might make you my fan," Mettaton winked as he uttered enthusiastically as he prepared his next attacks. Gaster glared at the robot and sneered, summoning up his magical weaponry, ready to destroy whatever that dared to cross his path.

* * *

"Can you really carry her, Alphys?" Toriel asked, carrying Asgore as if he were as light as a feather. Alphys was struggling to keep up to Toriel, carrying Undyne on her back and barely managing to take two steps every fifteen seconds. She could at least do this much, couldn't she?

"Y-Yes, I can manage this quite-" Alphys's words suddenly stopped, her foot having tripped over a rock and she promptly fell flat on her face on the ground, dropping Undyne on the cold, rocky ground. She scrambled up and tried to heave Undyne off the ground. She tried to pull and heave with all her might but her arms simply wouldn't respond. Her arms felt wobbly and powerless, as if she'd lifted twenty of her anime collections at once. Exhausted, she started to weep, realizing that she had been powerless to even help Undyne now.

"Alphys dear!" Toriel called out emphatically, reaching a hand out to the scientist. Alphys looked up and started to cry even more, her tears now flowing profusely down her cheeks and falling on Undyne. Toriel placed Asgore gently on the ground and crouched over to place a hand on Alphys's head, in an attempt to comfort the poor monster.

"Why can't I be of better use than this?!" Alphys screamed, frustrated and evidently stressed and depressed. Toriel cooed a few words of comfort and love, trying to remind the poor scientist that she was worth so much more and could do more than just this to help everyone. Alphys's cries soon stopped, slowly turning into mirthful laughters that Toriel managed to elicit out of Alphys through her horrifyingly bad jokes. Even in the middle of all this, Toriel still could maintain that gentle smile on her face, as if everything were simply just a bad dream.

"Are you well enough to go on, dear?" Toriel asked sweetly, and Alphys nodded in response, her brightened face beaming at Toriel. With Asgore on her back once again, Toriel helped Alphys with carrying Undyne. The two of them walked slowly through the caverns, discussing all sorts of things and laughing at various things they remembered. And in that heartwarming moment, the chasm didn't seem so lonely and miserable after all.

* * *

A loud crash reverberated through the darkness and woke Asriel up, startling him at the same time. He looked around, panicking, and searched for Frisk. He found Frisk still asleep like a log right beside him, curled up in a little ball. A sense of relief washed over Asriel as he watched his brother sleep peacefully. For a few seconds, he had almost forgotten that peril was just around the corner, reminded by another boom that shook the very grounds. The rumbling noise that followed afterwards didn't assure Asriel in any way. He stood up silently and crept noiselessly around the rocks and scanned his surroundings. The chamber was clear of any sort of enemies or any other living thing. In his peripheral vision, he spotted a corridor in the distance bathed in various shades of blue and purple light. The familiar blue light had only one answer to it. He swore he could hear rather dramatic cries of a certain somebody that sounded very familiar. Preoccupied with his thoughts, Asriel didn't notice the rustling noise or the figure that approached closer to him.

"Hey," Frisk whispered right beside Asriel's ear, and he placed his hands firmly on Asriel's shoulders, gripping them tightly. Asriel yelped shrilly and flinched, moving slowly to face Frisk, who had started to chuckle in delight. Asriel frowned indignantly and turned back to look at the corridor.

"Didn't think you'd wake up so quickly," Frisk muttered as he leaned his head against Asriel's back. "What are you watching?" Frisk moved his head lazily up to Asriel's shoulder. Asriel pointed to the corridor and Frisk could see what Asriel had been watching. He instantly recognized those familiar lights.

"Oh! That's Mettaton!" Frisk shouted excitedly, a big smile forming on his face. "But... Those blue lights..." Frisk's face turned a shade darker. Asriel, too, knew exactly what he meant.

"Sans..." Asriel murmured, expecting the worst case scenario. Frisk tightened his hold on Asriel, and the two of them watched silently, powerless to do anything. With their magic depleted, all they could do was hope for the best and wait for everyone else for now.

* * *

Gaster resented the fact that his two ex-assistants were so immobile due to their body forms. In other words, he knew the body was simply too big-boned to move nimbly enough to dodge all of Mettaton's attacks. Why Sans had to have such a body was a mystery to Gaster that severely impeded his movement. The bright purple beams mercilessly rained down upon Gaster, singing much of what Sans wore and inflicting many wounds. It was a blessing that his possessing of Sans overruled Sans's characteristic of having only one hit point. Had it not, Gaster would have died many times.

"Papyrus dear!" Mettaton shouted as he flourished his weapons that protruded from his arms and legs. "It's perfectly fine if I perhaps, destroyed a bit of your brother?" He flashed a malicious smile that Papyrus seemed to find charming. Papyrus gave a slight nod and that was enough for Mettaton.

"How are you on the dance floor, darling?" Mettaton sneered as he snapped his fingers. Multi-colored lights appeared on the ground, bathing the cold, dark grounds with patches of color. Gaster eyed at the ground beneath him suspiciously; and Mettaton, holding a microphone, laughed haughtily and twirled gracefully. Gaster felt that all the histrionics was starting to get irritating. Just as he was about to unleash his attacks on the rather flamboyant robot before him, the patches of light on the floor burst and scorched his entire body. Bathed in a grisly light, Gaster howled in pain and clawed at the air. Mettaton laughed shrilly and snapped his fingers.

"Ohh yeesss!" The robot shouted excitedly, "Let me hear those screams! These ratings are going to skyrocket!" Papyrus shuddered slightly as he spotted a glint of sadism in his lover's eyes. Papyrus tried to call for Mettaton, but the humanoid couldn't hear him. He couldn't bear to watch the two people he loved the most in the world fighting each other, ready to tear into each other just because of some monster like Gaster. This wasn't supposed to happen.

"Now then, shall we start our long awaited quiz show?!" Mettaton announced maniacally into his microphone. "I hope you're just as smart as what Alphys always said, Dr. Gaster! Our viewers are simply dying to see how smart you truly are!" The harsh light subsided, allowing Gaster to recover himself briefly. For some reason, he couldn't quite move away from where he was standing. It seemed as though the quiz show would have to start, whether he liked it or not.

"Bring it, you metallic failure of a human," Gaster hissed, "I hope you're not like that failure of a creator of yours." The sinister smile on Gaster's face didn't do anything to break Mettaton's calm mentality. Instead, Mettaton seemed to be enjoying every moment of this. He gripped his microphone and started his question.

"Now then, Doctor, the first question!" Mettaton shouted, "What is the shape that is attained from a function of three variables: x, y, and z all to the power of two?" Papyrus's eyes widened. This surely wasn't the sort of quiz show that occurred when Frisk participated. Gaster smirked at the robot and chuckled. Mettaton's frozen smile didn't reflect any sort of emotion.

"You dare try to make fun of me?" Gaster goaded, his voice brimming with irritation in stark contrast to his previously sinister chuckles. Papyrus couldn't bear to watch this, in all honesty. He didn't want either of them fighting each other. But he couldn't move any of his bones. He couldn't do anything in his state. All he could do was watch the merciless battle take place.

"Evidently, the answer would be a sphere," Gaster replied, still unable to move in the glaring light of the spotlight Mettaton had somehow created. He didn't understand why he wasn't able to move. He knew it was simply impossible for a faulty creation like this to accomplish such a feat. Even he could not figure it out for some reason.

"Correct! Fifty points to our brave scientist!" Mettaton announced boisterously to an invisible audience. "Now, I'm sure he's aching to hear the next eighty-eight questions! Im absolutely certain you'll love the next questions, am I right, Doc-" A harsh, grating voice interrupted Mettaton's high falsetto.

"Enough with your silly antics, you trash can!" Gaster shouted indignantly, "I've had enough of this stupid little play of yours!" He struggled and tried to break free from his confinement of light. Mettaton raised an eyebrow and looked at Gaster with interest. The colorful lights disappeared in an instant and Mettaton swiftly prepared his weapons. Gaster had vanished out of Mettaton's sight the moment he became free. The scientist appeared within the shadows, his yellow eyes glowing with enthusiasm and growing curiosity. It seemed as if he had a bit more to learn about the world.

"Beauties and gentle beauties!" Mettaton exclaimed happily, "Looks like the show won't be over in a while, so I hope all of you can stay in your seats!" Mettaton winked at Papyrus and summoned an entire stage from literal nothingness. Pink and purple lights started to blaze in the darkness, lighting up every inch of the cavern. Every shadow dissipated as Mettaton's magical stage illuminated to the point that the cave was devoid of darkness. Gaster hissed at the sudden, blaring light that glared harshly at him.

"You're a smart piece of scrap metal, aren't you?" Gaster asked, trying to hide the fact that Gaster's fate was sealed. Without the darkness to aid him in any way, there wasn't going to be anything to help him in this fight. Everything seemed to take a darker turn for Gaster.

"You're in for a lifetime of absolute hell, Doctor!" Mettaton screamed maniacally, simply enraptured by the idea that he had the villain right in his hands. He looked to Papyrus, wanting to know if his lover was watching, also sharing and relishing the same sort of feelings he was experiencing. He could see a pained grimace on Papyrus's face even from such a distance.

"Please don't do this, Metta," Papyrus muttered with a sad smile pasted on his face. "This isn't like you." Mettaton felt his heart sink within and turned his head away. He couldn't let something like Gaster stay alive. He had to do this, even if it drove him mad. What sort of a star was he if he couldn't even help bring a bit of happiness to his friends?

 _Precisely it, you useless scrap metal,_ Gastrer thought maliciously, having fulfilled what he truly wanted to see in the monsters and humans he so abhorred. He smiled broadly and faced the humanoid. He watched the barrage of attacks charge at him with grotesque satisfaction. He heard his nephew scream for Mettaton, but Gaster knew none of those words was going to get to the enraged robot. This was exactly what he was going for—insanity.

 _Everything is going perfectly fine, my little Sansie,_ Gaster thought smugly, knowing his nephew would be delighted to see the destruction these useless critters brought upon themselves. Nobody was going to stop them from carrying out their long-awaited plan of destruction.

* * *

At the sudden sound of footsteps, Asriel's ears perked up and he quickly turned his head to the other side of the cavern. He quickly reached for Frisk's head and pushed him down as he ducked, concealing themselves from whatever or whoever that appeared before them. Frisk gave a grunt of protest but quieted down as he realized what was about to happen. The two of them watched silently from behind the rock, hoping that it wouldn't be someone they'd have to fight. Two shadowed figures lumbered through the entrance, their bulky appearance intimidating both of them.

"Asriel, do you think we can…" Frisk murmured, Asriel brushed his brother's head and tried to calm him as much as he could. He shook his head sadly and smiled. All he hoped was that they wouldn't face any sort of harm right now.

"All we can do is just stay as quite as possible and-" Asriel stopped whispering when he could not hear the sounds of the figures' feet shuffling across the gravel. Asriel's heart dropped and he even held his breath, fearing the worst that could happen to them. Frisk buried himself into Asriel's shoulder, his entire body trembling with fear.

"What is it, Toriel?" A familiar, nasal voice sounded not too far away from them. Frisk stopped shaking and looked up at Asriel, who also seemed to be remembering something. One of the intruders had started walking again, this time the footsteps getting closer and closer to them.

"I can smell them…" A low, feminine voice whispered, "Just like butterscotch and cinnamon." A pair of furry white hands landed right on the each Dreemurr's shoulders, causing them to flinch and scream simultaneously. Once the screams had died down, the same motherly voice laughed hysterically. Frisk and Asriel slowly lifted their eyes upward to find the face of their very own mother peering straight down at them with the largest smile on her face.

"Oh my children!" Toriel spoke jubilantly, finally being able to find her children in one piece, safe and sound. She felt comforted simply from that one reality that she could possess in this world. Her children jumped up at her and threw their arms around Toriel, overjoyed to see their mother.

"Mom!" The two Dreemurrs shouted as they held their mother tightly, "Something's wrong with Uncle Sans!" That was the first thought the two of them had on their minds, never realizing that that was indeed the most important message they had to impart for Alphys. Toriel's eyes widened as she continued to listen to her children. She did not notice the reptilian scientist dashing out of the chamber, with dialated pupils and a panicked expression on her face.

 _This shouldn't be happening,_ Alphys thought in her mind, _Sans… I knew you would do this…_ She had already dropped Undyne back where Toriel and the kids were, and only now could she run with newfound energy, raw from both fear of what she would face in the next room. She saw the explosions of light that highlighted the darkness, dimly illuminating the dark caverns.

 _Mettaton?_ Alphys wondered, _You had to drag Mettaton into this, Gaster?_ Alphys felt resentment welling up within her, ready to smash that rotten monster of a scientists's face with her signature punch that would destroy that porcelain smirk. Alphys stepped into the chamber and was blinded by the bright, flashy lights that would seldom be seen even on Mettaton's videos.

"Alphys!" A familiar voice shouted at her, running towards her with a slight limp. Papyrus, his face beaming, managed to reach Alphys without getting harmed. Alphys felt relieved and glanced at him in greeting. She couldn't keep her eyes off of the very sight before her. Mettaton and Sans in the middle of their fight, flying around and attacking each other with magical attacks in mid air.

"This shouldn't be happening…" Alphys murmured, and Papyrus tried to hide his tears, blinking rapidly. Neither of them could bear to watch such a sight happening. Sans had a malicious scowl on his face, eyes glowing bright yellow, just like how Gaster's eyes used to glow. Mettaton donned a maniacal grin on his face, his metallic eyes glowing with no other particular quality but insanity.

"Are you happy now, Gaster?!" Alphys shouted, her voice echoing through the room. "Now that you've tested it, is this what you wanted?" She managed to have a glimpse of the scientist's ecstacy through Sans's face that clearly reflected that crazed happiness only Gaster could have.

 ** _And so is Sans,_** Gaster's voice responded in kind, **_He seems very content with the results of this._** Alphys felt her blood grow cold. She turned to Papyrus, who held a vacant look in his eyes. She didn't know what to say to him. She had no words.

"Alphys, what…" Papyrus muttered, "What, does he mean…?" With his voice devoid of all mirth and hope from before, Papyrus gazed at Alphys with his darkened eye sockets that no longer contained any light. Alphys found herself gazing into the darkness, paralyzed with fear.

"Alphys," Papyrus whispered, "You ought to speak." Alphys couldn't look away from the pitch black darkness within Papyrus. She tried to speak and started to utter a few sounds. It took her a moment before she could speak in her usual manner.

"H-He means that," Alphys took a deep breath, "Sans was the one who made all of this happen, not just Gaster himself." Papyrus's face immediately moved away from Alphys's face, eye sockets still devoid of light. Alphys took a few steps away from Papyrus, knowing that she too had a role in all this. She felt somewhat fortunate that she didn't tell Papyrus about that.

"Mettaton!" Alphys hollered, "Snap out of it, Mettaton!" Mettaton didn't even move his face to look at Alphys. He continued to shoot his attacks out of the various weapons he wielded from head to toe. From missiles to magical bolts of energy, the attacks grew in intensity. Gaster was managing to dodge all of this miraculously.

 ** _You're a bit too late, my dear,_** Gaster goaded her, **_But then again, have you ever managed to save even a single person?_** Alphys felt her heart stop for a moment. That statement hit a bit too close to her heart. Gaster's words never failed to leave her hopeless and hapless, always in the dust.

"But I'll make sure your first trial fails, Gaster," Alphys murmured, "Especially not when your first test was done on my creation." Alphys fished out a small, rectangular controller from her lab coat. She placed a finger on the only button placed on the controller for her one and only creation. She couldn't bear the thought of doing such a thing, but she knew she would have to—for the sake of everyone.

"Good night, Mettaton," Alphys whispered as she pressed the button. The controller beeped once and time seemed to slow as she waited for the response.

* * *

Thank you for reading this chapter as well! I hope you loved it (or not) and I'll do my best to update a bit on the quicker side this time. (I hope.)

Do look forward to my next chapter and yes, please do leave a review for any sort of comment that you'd like to leave. Thanks as always!


	24. Chapter 23 - Insanity

Hello everyone! It's me! Dvyitrus! I'm alive! I'm back after literally almost 3 months of a break that I probably don't deserve!

Okay, so I was really busy with school and everything, (I know, I'm not a university student, but I really was busy... and I couldn't write...) but I AM REALLY SORRY FOR NOT LEAVING EVEN A LITTLE NOTICE ABOUT HOW I WAS ON A HOLD TO THIS STORY. I TRULY AM SORRY TO ALL MY READERS AND EVERYONE, I AM A DISAPPOINTMENT. If you gave up on reading this story because of that, I totally understand and I'm really sorry about that...

That aside, this chapter was all the more difficult to write because I wrote it over the a few months, so it was a bit iffy to write things I had somewhat forgotten about. But nonetheless, I DID IT! I'll try my best to write the next one, but please, please, please don't expect much. I'll probably have to take another 3 months to write or I don't know. But I'll do my best to notify y'all when that happens. :)

Asriel: What took you so long?

Frisk: I thought you didn't have a life?

Dvyitrus: School.

Asriel and Frisk: Will we ever go through a phase like that too?

Dvyitrus: Yes. And that is why you shouldn't go to school. Don't even go to high school. Forget about it all. Don't even take the SA-

Toriel: *punches Dvyitrus in the face*

Asriel: Mom?!

Toriel: Don't listen to that human. There's so much more meaning to school than that.

Sans: stay in school kids and become like alphys

Frisk: ...

Alphys: H-H-Hey! What's wrong with me?!

Undyne: Nothing, darling. ;)

Toriel: Please don't do that in front of the kids.

Asriel: Mom we're totally fine with that.

Mettaton: Even if I'm doing this with Papyrus.

Sans: get out you sultry robot

Papyrus: Brother, he was holding my hand.

Frisk: *typing on phone* "Things are getting heated here. I wonder when Asriel and I will..."

Asriel: F-Frisk?!

* * *

I guess I should summarize the story before we jump into it...

Summary: So the entire Undertale gang is now in a chasm that Gaster and Chara had created from infiltrating Alphys's underground lab system. Gaster had possessed Alphys and basically tortured Undyne and Asgore. He gets defeated and Alphys is freed. But then Gaster takes over Sans's body and Mettaton comes into the picture, managing to fight Sans with Papyrus. Now comes the epilogue to this particular arc... finally...

* * *

 **Chapter 23 - Insanity**

"Mama thought she'd lose both of her children again, y'know?" Toriel spoke in between sobs, suddenly adopting a strangely Southern dialect in which she referred to herself in the third person. Neither Asriel nor Frisk figured out how or where she'd learned that. The three of them were having their moment of reunion for now, not exactly concerned about the impending doom just one wall and a few corridors away from them.

"Mom, where's Alphys?" Asriel asked, finally noticing the scientist's abrupt disappearance. Toriel spun around dramatically from her children, taking a few moments to look at the unconscious bodies of Asgore and Undyne lying still on the ground. She looked around for a few seconds, trying to look for an answer to her son's question.

"ALPHYS!" Toriel shouted, completely ignoring the body of her husband and stomping right on top of it to look for Alphys. Asgore uttered a painful groan as Toriel's foot landed right on top of his stomach. Frisk and Asriel hopped over their father and followed Toriel's lead in the search for Alphys and the rest, like the Skelebros who had somehow abandoned them—Toriel did not forget about that.

"My children, the way ahead may seem dangerous," Toriel stated gently, "are you sure about this?" Her children nodded enthusiastically, giving their mother a wide, toothy grin that reassured her. Each child grabbed Toriel's hand, Asriel at Toriel's left and Frisk at Toriel's right.

"Since when have my children become so brave?" Toriel asked with a shake of her head and simply laughed as the three of them started walking into the corridor, their faces highlighted by splashes of blue and purple lights that emanated from further into the chasm.

* * *

Meanwhile, in the room where the three of them had just come from, the bodies of Undyne and Asgore began twitching, with Asgore curled into a large ball that shivered from the pain of being stepped on by someone like Toriel. Evidently it didn't mean that Toriel was heavy but just that he did suffer a bit. A tiny bit.

"Asgore...?" Undyne croaked, her voice hoarse from all the screaming from before. He responded to the warrior with a low grunt that seemed to attest the fact that he was at least alive. Undyne threw her head backwards and started to laugh quietly, her eyes scanning the ceiling of the cavern. She had listenened to everything Alphys had stated the entire time while she was on her back. It took her all of her willpower to not laugh at her every word and hurt her broken ribs.

"It's good to have someone that loves you, don't you think so, Asgore?" Undyne asked with a silly smile pasted on her face. She rested her arm on her face and hid the tears that welled in her eyes. Asgore coughed a few times and tried to move himself. For some reason, he didn't quite agree with what Undyne had just said, seeing how his own lover had acted against him.

"Mm… Yeah, that's true…" Asgore croaked, his voice still quite weak. "But besides all that… Why are we on the floor, Undyne?" He slowly turned his body to where Undyne was located. She laughed softly and shook her head slowly. All she knew was that their companions had thrown them down on the floor for some reason. For now, all they could do was simply rest and regain their strength to move again.

* * *

"Alphys darling! Don't you dare!" Mettaton shouted indignantly, his voice rising in octaves rapidly. Alphys clicked on the button on her remote once again, trying to stop her very own robot's insane rampaging before he could do any sort of harm to himself. Alphys shook her head and shut her eyes tightly, no longer hearing Mettaton's crazed shoutings and screams of protest. She whispered a quick apology and farewell before opening her eyes.

 _"_ _All functioning systems going offline,"_ a mechanical voice announced clearly, emanating from the speakers on Mettaton's pink body. Mettaton's eyes had turned blank, and the weapons that protruded from his body vanishing into his limbs and torso. The heart located in his chest glowed brightly for a moment and the humanoid ceased all movement.

 _"_ _Deactivating Program Mettaton EX,"_ the same voice enunciated, _"Thank you for using Mettaton EX, Dr. Alphys."_ The android's body vibrated for a moment and remained as still as a statue, lifeless like a mannequin. The heart within the robot's chest glowed with a hot pink in its compartment.

"I'm so sorry…" Alphys whispered again, as she had never done such a thing before to her own invention and friend. She knew Mettaton would be absolutely incensed, but she had to do this before insanity consumed his very soul. This was exactly what Gaster wanted—turning Determination into Insanity.

"I'll give you fifty points for managing to figure that out, Alphys," Gaster stated with a smirk on his face. Cracks had appeared on Sans's face, similar to how Gaster's face had looked like when he was alive. The bluish glow in his eye socket had turned a golden yellow, and the usual smile that was stuck to his face no longer existed, just the disgustingly annoying signature smirk of Gaster. Alphys felt like punching that face of his, even if it was Sans's.

"But I'll have to deduct all of it depending on how you actually solve this problem," Gaster declared with a flourish of his arms, "after all, I'm not the only one who created this, you know?" He placed a hand on his chest and smiled rather proudly, the smirk never quite coming off of his face. She felt her blood grow cold, her limbs not responding to any of her impulses. She struggled, but Gaster laughed at her. She glanced over to find Papyrus, also frozen from disbelief and fright. Gaster began walking their way, kicking Mettaton away to the far wall with an angry grunt. He stood right before the two of them and lifted his hands, placing them right on top of their heads.

"As long as you hold still, you won't be hurt," Gaster murmured, "I'm surprised you've managed to figure out part of it yourself, Alphys. But please, just enjoy the show, alright?" Alphys peered at the scientist with fearful eyes, not wishing to see whatever it was that he wanted them to see. But it was too late for that.

* * *

 _"_ _Dr. Gaster!" A young Alphys shouted with enthusiasm, "I believe we've found it!" She scampered her way deftly through the rows of tables and experimental samples that lay cluttered all around the lab. Gaster braced himself for the impact and was knocked down by Alphys who came hurtling at him at a rather high speed. He gave a shout and fell on the floor, Alphys at his feet._

 _"_ _What is it, Ms. Alphys…" Gaster groaned out, somewhat getting used to this. He knew Alphys loved to do that whenever she was excited and had something important to show. He heard another monster's footsteps approaching them; and he sat up slowly, dusting his clothes._

 _"_ _Yes, Sans? Would you kindly tell me what Alphys was going to say?" Gaster asked, his voice laced with irritation. But he had a good idea of what exactly they would say. Either about another cat they found, or perhaps how amazingly well the Core was running. He didn't want to quite listen to all that._

 _"_ _You know Uncle, you should be grateful you've got assistants like us," Sans spoke, smiling as always. "We've completed it—Project Determination II." He held up a small vial containing a dark liquid within, seemingly absorbing all light around it. Gaster had never seen anything quite as beautiful as this. He stood up and grabbed the vial from Sans's hand, cradling it in his thin fingers and marveling at it. Alphys managed to compose herself and stood up as well, standing right beside Sans and smiling goofily._

 _"_ _I've- I mean, we've finally done it," Gaster whispered, "the solution to our problems." His thoughts, however, betrayed everything he said. He had done a solid job at maintaining this silly façade of being the virtuous scientist that the Underground adored. That was not why he wanted to do all of this._

And soon, all of you will find destruction right before yourselves, _Gaster thought to himself, relishing in the idea that he held the key to razing everything to the ground, monsters and humankind alike. With what he had just created,_ Insanity, _he could nullify determination. He could do so much more than just humans and their silly little determined minds. He held the power to drive anyone to insanity, inducing their minds to implode._

 _"_ _So, what exactly do we do with this?" Alphys asked after a long moment of silence, "And also, what do we call this?" Gaster had forgotten that his two little assistants had no clue as to what they had helped him create. He despised those smiling faces that looked up at him with absolute reverence. He didn't want any of that, nor did he even care about that._

 _"_ _Call it your salvation," Gaster laughed with a hint of malice. "Now then, I must ask you to no longer remember me."_

* * *

The scene faded away from them immediately, and Papyrus looked at his uncle with growing horror. He remembered the times in Snowdin when Sans would arrive home late at night, wearing a dust-stained lab coat with wrinkles all over it. He would yell at his brother and ask him where he had been. Sans would always answer with, "My shift." He later managed to figure out that he was working on something with Dr. Gaster, who Sans feared when he was younger. But for some reason, he had come to good terms with him for a while. He never figured out the reasons why, but Papyrus decided that it was, perhaps, for the good of all.

"You manipulated with his memories..?" Papyrus asked, his eyes glowing a brighter shade of orange. "After everything you've done to him before, you do something like that again?" Papyrus gritted his teeth, thinking of how his brother had trembled in abject fear once every few nights after they had escaped from Gaster. It took them a few years to improve his mental condition for that. And it took even more time just to get Sans to stop thinking about those times he had spent captive to Gaster.

And yet Gaster decides to use Sans and plays around with his memories just to do whatever he wanted to do. Papyrus hated that very thought. It felt sordid, grotesque, and defiling. He didn't want his brother to live oblivious of these things.

"He still doesn't know why he hates me, Papyrus," Gaster replied, smiling a crazed smile. The cracks in Sans's skull began to grow, spreading past his eye sockets. Gaster smirked at Papyrus as he clenched his fist and raised his arm, eyes blazing with orange fury.

"Get the hell out of my brother's body!" Papyrus shouted, shooting forth energy bolts and regular attacks all over the place, none of them managing to strike his target. Sharp bones whizzed past Sans as he dodged every single one of them nimbly. Gaster didn't, after all, want to damage such a fine specimen.

* * *

Alphys stared with wonder at the sight that enfolded before her as she crouched behind a boulder in absolute fear. She too had seen that vision, a memory that she had forgotten about. She did think Sans was quite familiar, and she did get along well with him; but Alphys had no idea she would have worked under Gaster _with_ Sans. That part of her memory got a little fuzzy. She threw her head into her arms and pressed her hand against her ears, not wanting to hear anymore of the pandemonium and think of everything as a bad dream. Just a bad dream.

 _alphys,_ a baritone voice called out, a particular kind of pitch she would recognize at any given moment. But it wasn't possible. How was she hearing him at this point in time?

 _well, you are hearing me, so what's not possible?_ Sans asked through her mind. Alphys felt a distinct presence hanging around in her mind—a friendly one that contrasted sharply with Gaster's presence. She shuddered at that thought and tried to focus on Sans.

 _because of your previous experience with gaster, it became easier for me to occupy a bit of your mind,_ Sans declared, answering Alphys's wonderment at how he had managed to reach out to her. She asked him what she could possibly do to help Papyrus. Sans took a while to think before he gave an answer.

 _you're not going to like it, alph._ Sans replied in kind, and Alphys could imagine the grimace he had on his face. Alphys gulped and reassured him, saying that she was totally fine. Anyone would have seen through her brave façade, that bravado she had summoned up.

 _thanks, alphys._ Sans stated gravely as he began to branch out within her mind and take control of Alphys. Unlike Gaster, Sans's grasp on Alphys wasn't painful. It was actually quite calming for her. And her soul wasn't in danger at all. That was another plus from that. She decided to leave it up to Sans and simply sit back in her mind and watch everything unfold, sort of like the audience of a fascinating play. She didn't mind that position.

* * *

"Mom, what do we do?" Asriel asked softly as he lay low on the ground, watching the fight between the Skelebros destroy the chasm. With Frisk clinging onto his arm, he tried to hide his own trembling and put on his undaunted act. Toriel simply shook her head and tried to think of anything that could help. She noticed Alphys's figure crouched behind the looming shadows of the rocks. If only she could somehow reach her and help her get to safety. The chasm shook at each explosion from the Gasterblasters and the razor-sharp bones that bombarded every wall and crevice. Frisk gave a stifled scream and buried his head in Asriel's shoulder.

"My children, perhaps it is better for you to head back to your father and Undyne for safety," Toriel stated, her face no longer holding the warm smile. Asriel nodded and stood up, helping Frisk up as well. He couldn't do anything about this. All of them knew Sans was a formidable monster and with Gaster inside of him, he was basically invulnerable and ridiculously strong.

* * *

"If only we had more magic power…" Asriel murmured, his hand holding Frisk's hand tightly. They found Asgore and Undyne sitting on some rocks, nursing their wounds and trying to regain their strength slowly. Asriel and Frisk sat by them and began telling them what they had seen with Toriel. Undyne's pupils seemed to shake slightly as she listened. Asgore had a somber, grave look on his face.

* * *

Meanwhile, with the children sent away, Toriel could finally start working on her little spell. She, after all, had not wasted her days during her time in the Ruins. While taking up residence in Home, she had uncovered a peculiar little tome, a grimoire, as the humans called it. And she had memorized the entire thing in a matter of a few days, the magic within it intriguing something within her. As the best spellcaster in the Underground, she did possess vast knowledge in the arcane arts. She bit into her thumb and drew some blood, using it to draw a small magic circle on the top of her hand.

"Toriel, what are you trying to do?" Asgore's voice rang clearly from behind her, startling her but not ruining the circle she had drawn meticulously. She looked back to see the exhausted face of her husband, hanging onto his trident with all his might. She smiled at her husband.

"I didn't become Queen just to sit back and watch everything, Fluffybuns." Toriel declared and snapped her fingers. Asgore promptly collapsed on the ground, sleeping soundly. She couldn't let her valued friends, uncles and aunts to her children fight such an unholy thing all by themselves. She stepped into the final battleground.

* * *

Papyrus's attacks continued, each attack maintaining the same intensity and speed from the start. He had even managed to summon a few Gasterblasters himself, firing off wave after wave of particle beams that missed Gaster by a hair. He ignored all of his urges to give into the fatigue he had been feeling for a while.

"Aren't you tired, my little nephew?" Gaster cackled as he flew in the air, dodging everything quite skillfully. "It's still a few hundred years early for you to get me, you know?" Papyrus guessed Gaster hadn't noticed anything about his barrage of attacks yet. He took a deep breath.

"Nyeh-heh-heh!" Papyrus shouted triumphantly, "Alas! Even the Ex-Royal Scientist W. D. Gaster can't see through the Magnificent Papyrus's attacks!" He gritted his teeth and summoned up one last Gasterblaster to fire at Gaster, who smirked and disapparated quickly. Papyrus clenched his fists and the bones embedded in the walls of the chambers shot up, the sharp ends gleaming in the air. And as soon as he appeared again, Gaster gave an eldritch scream of pain.

"What did I tell you, Gaster?" Papyrus asked, goading the scientist pierced with fifteen shards of bones. Gaster hissed at him, and the cracks in the skull deepened, spreading. Papyrus stood in front of Gaster. After a few seconds, Gaster grew impatient and tried to move. He couldn't.

"What the hell are you doing?" Gaster asked impatiently, "Why aren't you ending me?" He didn't understand what was happening. Papyrus simply stood there with a smirk and promptly sat down, not wanting to fight anymore. He didn't have the strength to do so anyways.

"I'm not letting you get any more turns," Papyrus stated, "with every attack and movement, you're destroying my brother's body and soul, little by little. I can't let you do anything, and I can't kill you either. So I'm never going to continue this fight. It will forever be my turn." Papyrus flashed his signature smile and ended with a little "nye-heh" before leaning against a rock and closing his eyes.

"You little brat…" Gaster fumed, still trapped in the bones that had now formed a sort of cage around him. If he moved, he would shatter Sans's body and he too would be destroyed. He didn't want to do that. If he didn't move, he would be able to stall some time and destroy Papyrus as soon as the bones disappear. He could now hear his little nephew snoring softly. He chuckled maliciously.

"And that, Papyrus, is your mistake." Gaster murmured. He conjured his hands and began to work at the bones, shattering them and removing them one by one. It didn't matter whether or not this wasn't going to be his turn, as long as he killed Papyrus.

"is that me right there?" A voice rang from above Gaster, a particularly familiar voice that never ceased to bring an ominous, creeping feeling to Gaster, since the time he had died to the owner of the voice. Gaster quickly dropped Papyrus, who crumpled to the ground, unconscious. But as soon as he fell to the ground, he disappeared, vanishing suddenly and away from Gaster.

"Sans…" Gaster hissed out, his breath seething with rage. Alphys floated down right in front of Gaster, but Gaster knew this wasn't Alphys. She couldn't have done that. And that familiar, annoying smile couldn't have been anyone's but Sans's.

"Thank you for helping me remember the atrocities you had committed to Papyrus, me, and Alphys. You really are a lab rat, aren't you?" Sans questioned in Alphys's voice. Both Gaster and Sans thought that it was weird to hear such things come out of Alphys's mouth. (Even though her voice literally broke the atmosphere for fighting, thankfully they both went with it.)

"You shouldn't be able to do anything… I have your soul right-" Gaster stopped immediately, noticing the void inside his body where Sans's soul should have been. His eyes widened and the cracks began to grow and widen throughout Sans's body now. Gaster felt his fear grow within him.

"You're forgetting what you've done to me ages ago, Uncle." Sans spoke as his mouth twisted into a cruel smile and his eyes glowed a bright blue. It was remarkable that he could manifest his very being through a medium like Alphys. It was something that required a lot of power, discipline, and talent. And for Sans to be able to exhibit his own soul and self through another monster without straining the body of the host—this simply befuddled Gaster more and more. He wanted to know why this was happening. What made Sans more superior?

"Don't you remember?" Sans asked, laughing a little. "That little serum you gave me." Sans clenched his fists and his eyes flashed iridescent for a moment, turning into a multitude of colors before reverting back to the familiar blue. Gaster felt as though someone had impaled his mind with an icicle, chilling him through and through.

"I-Insanity wasn't created back then," Gaster murmured, looking at Sans in bewilderment, "that's impossible." Gaster's yellow pupils began to shrink and glow even weaker. Sans took a step closer and started laughing, the laughter echoing through the caverns.

"But with the disgusting amount of determination you forced within me and the strains that you'd put me through catalyzed a strange reaction, Gaster." Sans spoke in a slightly lower voice that did not seem like himself. Gaster noticed the subtle change. He knew what this was. Insanity had begun to consume him already.

"You thought you had me in the palm of your hand," Sans whipered as he leaned in close to Gaster's face. "You thought you had me perfectly in control, the finest specimen and the most brilliant experiment you'd ever had in eons. But with a power like this, why should I listen to you? And you thought you had me under your control because I worked with you. You thought, didn't you?" Sans rattled his words out rapidly, in a crazed frenzy that awed Gaster.

"Let's start your judgment, shall we?" Sans asked sinisterly as he licked his lips and grasped at Gaster's hand, his eyes glowing the same iridescent color once more, reflecting the look of crushing guilt Gaster had on his face. Sans laughed loudly, feeling his powers coursing through his body, ready to unleash his destructive powers any time and crush the heinous villain that lay helpess before him. His judgment would be right. He knew he had every right to do this. The Insanity within him had already consumed most of his soul.

"As I thought, you really are the perfect specimen, Sans," Gaster breathed softly. He felt his soul getting dragged out of Sans's body. He couldn't even struggle or resist Sans's grasp on Gaster's inky black soul. Alphys's body had crumpled to the ground, and Sans returned to his body quickly, to stop it from deteriorating any further.

"you've done quite a number to my body," Sans muttered as he freed himself from the bones that Papyrus had conjured. The cracks in his body remained, but they started to subside slowly, closing up one at a time. Had he not returned to his body sooner, his insanity could have inflicted heavy damage on Alphys. He took a deep breath and looked at the soul that floated before him.

"You will be judged. You will be judged for every action." Sans spoke in a voice that did not belong to him. "You will be judged for every EXP you earned." He lifted a hand and the air grew deathly quiet. A few rocks tumbled down the walls, the sounds reverberating through the cavern. A strange sense of stillness pervaded the air and Gaster helplessly tried to struggle. Nothing was really working out for him.

"you disgusting sinner," Sans spoke, his devilish smile flashing at Gaster's soul. "why aren't you burning in hell yet?" Sans snapped his fingers and Gasterblasters circled the soul, ready to fire at any moment. Gaster guffawed even in his broken form as a soul.

 ** _WHO DO YOU THINK YOU'RE TALKING TO, BRAT?_** Gaster shouted, **_I WILL NEVER DIE. I AM EVERYWHERE, AND I WILL COME BACK EVERY TIME YOU DESTROY ME. HOW ELSE WOULD I BE HERE AGAIN, FACING YOU?_** Sans didn't even flinch. His crazed smile still on his face, Sans decided to have a bit of fun with this disgusting monster. It was his turn to make Gaster his little experimental guinea pig.

"i've always wanted to try this," Sans snapped his fingers and the Gasterblasters fired. He restored Gaster's soul through a save file and fired again. He loaded the file and fired. He repeated it, laughing at every time he saw Gaster's soul shattering. He continued to do so for five minutes, never tiring at how Gaster screamed in agony and simply dissipated into nothingness. He loved to watch it happen, over and over again.

"Sans," A clear voice cut through the maniacal laughters of the skeleton. "What are you doing, Sans?" Toriel began walking to where Sans stood, her face wrought with concern for her favorite skeleton. She couldn't stand watching him become such a monster, killing mercilessly and repeatedly.

"tori?" Sans asked, bewildered as he escaped the grasps of his hazy Insanity that blinded him of all sense and rationale. His manic smile faded from his face, and the light in his eyes subsided slightly, reaching a warm glow that characterized Sans. The cracks in his skull had almost disappeared by then.

"n-no," Sans stammered, "i… i lost it again, didn't i? what about papyrus?" Sans looked at the soul floating right before him. He most definitely did remember exactly what had happened just a few moments ago. He had allowed the Insanity within to manifest, turning him into a true monster, one on the same level as Gaster and Chara. What then, delineated him from the others? He took a few steps backwards and stumbled on a rock that protruded from the ground.

"Hush, Sans, your brother is perfectly fine, I teleported him back to where the others are," Toriel whispered as she caught Sans and carried him in her arms. "Rest for now, we will think and talk through all of this, my brave little skeleton." She cooed at him and cast a little sleeping spell upon him. She laid Sans on the ground and loomed before Gaster's soul. She glared at it piercingly and listened to what it had to say.

 ** _DO YOU SEE NOW? WHAT MAKES HIM DIFFERENT FROM ME, YOU DISGRACEFUL QUEEN? WHAT IS IT THAT DEEMS ME AS A VILLAIN AND HIM A HERO? IS MY DESIRE TO CLEANSE THIS WORLD FOR THE GOOD OF ALL A CHARITY?_** Gaster screamed out in his desire to somehow talk through this and stall everything. With enough time, he knew he could teleport to safety and return, stronger than ever.

"You? Cleanse the world?" Toriel asked, almost baffled with the absurdity of that statement. "And don't you dare think you're getting anywhere." She summoned a chain of flames to shackle the soul in place, making it impossible for it to even try to attempt any sort of sleight-of-hand to escape.

 ** _THE ANGEL,_** Gaster spat out bitterly, ** _I HAD DISCOVERED THE TRUTH BEHIND THE ANGEL OF OUR WORLD, OH DERELICT QUEEN. AND I HAD FOUND THE SOURCE OF THE POWER BEHIND THE ANGEL. WITH ENOUGH TIME, I COULD HAVE ASCENDED AS THE ANGEL AND RID OF ALL YOU DISGUSTING CRITTERS, BOTH MONSTERS AND HUMANS._**

Toriel took a few moments to consider his thoughts. She nodded a bit and ended up shaking her head and laughing softly. She could not believe what she was hearing. The codswallop she had just heard from the previous Royal Scientist her husband had employed simply amused her beyond all compare.

"By Angel, do you mean this?" Toriel asked as she muttered a few words and raised her hand. A bright light engulfed her, illuminating the lifeless cavern with a glorious light that brought warmth and solace. Gaster's blackened soul withstood the harsh light and watched the light, mesmerized by it. A pair of wings had sprouted behind Toriel and her dress changed color into a pure white that dazzled the eyes. Toriel smirked slightly and began to chant in words that Gaster did not understand. With the insignia of the Angel emblazoned on the center of her dress, the pair of feathery wings on her back, and the symbol of the Angel on the top of her hand, Gaster felt his very existence shaking in sheer excitement at the manifestation of the Angel right before him. Without a doubt, this truly was the Angel that stood before him. In this, he had faith. He felt his soul resonating even in the painful shackles.

 ** _OH ANGEL, ARE YOU HERE TO BRING SALVATION TO YOUR BELIEVER, YOUR ONE AND ONLY FOLLOWER WHO HAS ALWAYS BELIEVED IN YOU?_** Gaster asked, his voice shaking and trembling at the "might" of the "Angel." He knew the Angel always existed. No one had believed him. He knew the Angel was the reason, the cause, the way of life for monsterkind. And he knew it was also the reason behind his twisted beliefs in "cleansing."

"Actually, no," Toriel stated calmly, "You're going to die and I'm going to make sure you _never_ come back to life." She lifted her hand and smiled sweetly. She unleashed a pillar of flame that blazed furiously and lasted for a good minute or so. The little magic circle on her hand glowed brilliantly and she really did have the humans to thank for this little ingenuity. The black soul had shattered and turned to ashes, and Toriel made sure to incinerate those little pieces too, to the point where Gaster's soul literally did not exist in any shape or form.

"Good riddance, I say to you," Toriel declared triumphantly as her form faded away. Just a few moments ago, she remembered (from a long time ago) glimpsing Gaster at the Ruins from time to time, back when he was alive, making his way to the torn-down chapels for the Angel. She had once followed him to find that he was an avid believer of the Angel, the "savior" of monsterkind. She silently thanked the Angel and the humans for their illusory spells. Had she not found that book, she might have not been able to accomplish what she had just done. She hoped Gaster fell for her illusion and decided to stay dead for a long time.

"Sans!" Toriel shouted, crouching beside him and inspecting his wounds. She began to work her healing magic on him and Sans woke up soon enough, his eye sockets filled with the usual, friendly light that Sans always had. He cracked a smile at her.

"Toriel…" Sans croaked, his voice quite a mess from having to exert so much power at once. Toriel smiled at him sweetly and placed a little kiss on his forehead. Sans's face flushed a faint blue and he averted his gaze from Toriel.

"It's all over now, my brave Sans," Toriel stated with a loving smile. "He's gone forever. For sure." Sans looked at her with wonder and blinked for a few moments. A few drops of tears clung at his eye sockets. He smiled back at her and closed his eyes again, tired and ready to have his break for now.

* * *

Alphys felt her soul taking control of her body once again, and she felt a bit odd, having to lose control of herself twice in one day. She blinked a few moments and got up and looked for Mettaton. She couldn't care less about herself for now since she barely did anything except allow Sans to take possession of her body for a bit. She knew Mettaton wouldn't forgive her for doing such a thing. That is, if she could find him and recover his system from forcing him to shut down.

"Oh Mettaton… Where are you…?" Alphys asked no one in particular, but out of pure concern for her precious robot—the epitome of her ingenuity. She quickly fished out her little remote that controlled Mettaton's switch. She pressed the "on" button rapidly, wanting to somehow get her signal to Mettaton and see him once again. A faint beep sound echoed through the cavern. Her ears perked up at the sound of it. She noticed a pinkish light a few meters away from her, underneath quite a pile of rubble.

"Mettaton?!" Alphys shouted ecstatically, her voice cracking with emotions. She jumped over rocks and dashed for the heap of stones that glowed underneath in a bright pink light. She could hear the mechanical gears spinning and the start-up music playing softly. Tears streamed silently from her eyes as she waited for her beloved robot and friend to come to life. The rocks began to rumble and slide right off the heap as Mettaton rose. Alphys jumped up in pure joy, hugging the robot and pressing her teary face into the robot's shoulder.

"A-Alphys!" Mettaton shouted, flustered. "W-What's the matter? Darling, I know you had to shut me down by force, but what's wrong?!" Mettaton carried the scientist who still clung onto his shoulder. The robot and the scientist jumped down from the rubble and made their way down, to where the others were.

"Th-Thank you, Mettaton," Alphys stammered, "for staying alive for me." She whispered as she continued to cry into Mettaton's shoulder. She was so worried about him. And to see him safe and sound meant everything in the world for her. Mettaton smiled at his inventor and spotted Toriel, who had Sans in her arms.

"Toriel!" Mettaton called as he caught up to her, "Is everything fine?" He figured Gaster was already defeated by now, seeing how Sans was sleeping peacefully in Toriel's arms. Toriel gave a slow nod as she looked at Mettaton and Alphys. She had a sort of content smile on her warm face. Mettaton sighed in relief and laughed a little. The two of them continued to make their way back to where everyone else was, back in the cavernous corridor. They chuckled as they heard Papyrus's signature laugh faintly echoing in the distance.

"So then what happened after that?!" Frisk asked, absolutely interested in the story Undyne had been telling them—one about how she had beaten up a teacher in her school back when she was young. Undyne looked at them with pride gleaming in her eyes. She cleared her throat and continued to tell her story. As she was telling her story, she saw a flash of a familiar yellow through the corner of her eye.

"ALPHYS!" Undyne shouted as she stood up immediately and dashed for Alphys. Mettaton hoisted her off his shoulder and laid her on a flat piece of rock. Undyne grasped Alphys's hand and gazed at her for a few moments. Knowing that her favorite nerd was still alive, she sighed in relief and gave Mettaton a bear hug for carrying her here.

Papyrus had also dashed upon seeing Sans in Toriel's arms, and quickly laid him on another slab of stone nearby. He clutched at Sans's bony hands and tried to stifle his tears. Frisk and Asriel stood right beside Papyrus with Toriel, bawling and crying their eyes out. Toriel picked up her children and ruffled their heads, holding them tightly and whispering words of comfort to them. Asgore wrapped his entire family in a large embrace, having terribly missed Toriel.

And for a little while longer, all of them remained in the illuminated chasm, sharing tears of relief and joy and holding each other tightly for a few more moments, glad that all of this had finally come to a close and that no one was seriously hurt. It was time to return home.

* * *

This chapter might have felt a bit rushed in progression (definitely not the update), but I hope all of you still enjoyed reading! Thank you so much for being patient with me and still keeping track of my fanfiction! All of you are really the best! I really can't ask for a better audience. Please continue to look forward to my next chapters, there definitely WILL BE more! Thank you so much!


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